Scientific Assistant position 80-100% (m/f/d) in Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance Microbiology
Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
You will support a project team investigating the sources and impact of micropollutants and antibiotic resistant bacteria in sewer overflows. You will help to develop new approaches to evaluate these sources of contamination in rivers and to assess possible interventions. Your role will be to analyze antibiotic resistance in sewer overflows and an impacted river. You will be conducting sampling campaigns and perform laboratory analyses to measure the abundance of antibiotic resistance. The successful candidate will work in the group of Dr. Helmut Bürgmann, whose Microbial Ecology group focuses on research on complex microbial communities in aquatic systems. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Lena Mutzner and her team in the Urban Water Management department. The position is funded for 12 months at 100%.
You are holding a MSc. or BSc. (or equivalent) degree with training in environmental microbiology or adjacent fields and are excited about research in environmental microbiology and public health topics. You have experience in microbial molecular ecology techniques like DNA extraction, quantitative PCR and preparing samples for microbial analysis or metagenomic sequencing. You also enjoy doing field work in and around aquatic systems or urban environments. You are able to analyze and visualize data, contribute to writing scientific reports and to present your results to stakeholders and scientific audiences. You enjoy working and communicating in a team. Good knowledge of German and English is desirable, a driving license is helpful.
At Eawag, we have a working environment in which people with different experiences, strengths, and perspectives can fully contribute and further develop. Here, you can help us advance! We promote genuine participation, exchange, and mutual understanding. We create structures that enable the compatibility of work and other areas of life, such as care work, and continuously make efforts to reduce barriers.
Do you have specific requirements regarding the application process or the position, or do you need additional information? Talk to us about it—we will be happy to support you with possible flexible workplace, working hours, and job design solutions. For further information please visit our website about Eawag as well as our conditions of employment.
Applications must be submitted by 15 February 2026. The screening of applicants will begin immediately. Please include a cover letter with a concise statement about your interest in the project, and your previous relevant experience, a curriculum vitae, academic qualifications (including course transcripts), names and contact information of up to 3 references (please do not include letters with the application). To reduce bias in the application process, please do not include a photo. The preferred starting date is 1 April 2026.
Applications from employment agencies/personnel consultants are not welcome and will not be considered.
Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
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