Open Positions

Please visit this page regularly to check for open positions. If no positions are available in your field of interest, nevertheless feel free to contact the relevant group leaders to inquire about future possibilities.

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  • Teaching and Research Associate in Sedimentology and Geo-Biosphere Interactions (80 to 100 %)

    The Department of Geosciences at the University of Fribourg invites applications for a MA position (maître[sse] assistant[e]/ Oberassistent[in]) in the broad fields of sedimentology, geo-biosphere interactions and paleoenvironments. Potential research fields include geo-biosphere interactions in sedimentary systems, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, paleoclimatology, biomineralization, diagenesis, applied sedimentology, or experimental sedimentology. We seek candidates with a research profile in process-orientated sedimentology using analytical and quantitative methods. Candidates should have acquired a PhD degree in Earth Sciences and ideally have at least three years of postdoctoral or equivalent experience.


    We are looking for a strong team player with good interdisciplinary, communication and networking skills. The Department of Geosciences offers unique opportunities for collaboration across research groups. Research must be supported by raising external funds through joint research initiatives. The Department of Geosciences hosts and manages the GeoImage and Analytics Core Facility. The candidate will have to take on vital lab responsibilities at the Department of Geosciences such as the supervision of the micro-CT lab, the experimental and/or the geochemical lab. Experience with one of the above-mentioned lab techniques and/or platforms is essential.

    The successful candidate will support teaching in the broad domains of general geology, sedimentology, sedimentary microscopy, and methods in sedimentology at the Bachelor and Master level with special emphasis on the organization of field and laboratory courses. The candidate should be able to teach Bachelor courses in one of the two official languages of the University, French or German (after an appropriate learning period, if necessary) and Master courses in English. Teaching experience at university level is expected.

    The University of Fribourg is an equal opportunity employer and strives towards gender balance and diversity at all levels.

    The position could be available as early as October 1st 2026 or by mutual agreement. The position will be filled initially for 5 years but can be stabilized depending on the performance of the candidate.

    Electronic copies of the following documents should be forwarded to the address below:

    (1) Cover letter mentioning the position for which the candidate is applying
    (2) Complete CV, including copies of the diploma of the highest degree
    (3) Complete list of publications
    (4) Detailed record of teaching experience
    (5) Record of past and present funding
    (6) 1–2-page description of major scientific achievements and future research directions
    (7) Name and addresses of three referee persons

    The applications should be made via email as one single PDF file. For all questions and for submission of the application please contact Prof. Dr. Anneleen Foubert Mail  The applications should reach the Department of Geosciences before 17th of July 2026.

  • PhD student in "Establishing a firn emulator for future Greenland simulations"

     The University of Fribourg is located in central western Switzerland, at the foothills of the Swiss Alps. The university has about 10’000 students across all scientific disciplines. Being part of the Faculty of Science and Medicine, the Department of Geosciences comprises approximately 90 employees and offers BSc and MSc programs in Earth sciences, in geosciences and geography.

    The Cryosphere group within the Department of Geosciences has a staff of c. 25 and has strong expertise in surface and subsurface processes of glaciers and ice sheets, permafrost and geophysics. The Cryosphere group is looking for a PhD student in "Establishing a firn emulator for future Greenland simulations" 

    This 4-year PhD position is part of the FirnMelt Synergy Grant, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). FirnMelt is a collaboration between University of Fribourg (Horst Machguth), the Alfred Wegener Institut AWI (Angelika Humbert), University of Utrecht (Michiel van den Broeke) and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland GEUS (William Colgan). The core team consists of the 4 PIs, a scientific coordinator, around 15 early career researchers as well as technical staff and aims to quantify the impact of Greenland’s changing firn cover on the entire ice sheet.  

    The goal of this PhD position is to develop an emulator of firn hydrology capable of representing lateral water flow within anisotropic firn. The design of the emulator, particularly the loss functions, will be informed by already existing firn hydrology datasets within the consortium and then formally trained with the large-scale firn simulations within the project. This approach will emulate the complex physical processes involved in firn hydrology. Eventually, the firn emulator should provide runoff for coupled Greenland simulation until the year 2300. Challenges to be addressed and explored will include suitability and quality of input data and the emulation of not only firn structure but also firn hydrology and related meltwater discharge, The position will be supervised by H. Machguth and co-supervised by M. van den Broeke and A. Humbert. 

    This may be the perfect position for you if you have a master’s degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, statistics or a related field, you are interested in the cryosphere, you have experience in computational data analysis and modelling, and if you are eager to participate in Greenland fieldwork. Very good verbal and written communication skills in English are required; French or German is an asset. 

    If you are interested, please send your application (merged into one PDF file), including (1) motivation letter, (2) CV (including list of publication, if applicable) with contact details of at least two references, and (3) educational transcripts directly to Horst Machguth by Mail . The optimal starting date for the PhD candidate is towards the end of 2026 and assessment of applications will start 14 September 2026. Please contact Horst Machguth by Mail   if you have questions.  

  • PhD student in "The role of deformation on the geochemistry in carbonates”

    We invite applications for a 4-year Ph.D. position in the Structural Geology & Tectonics group at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland that will be led by Prof. Ismay Vénice Akker starting September 2026. The available position is a research assistantship funded directly by the Department of Geosciences. The project will focus on the role of deformation on the trace element distribution in carbonates and will include field work, high-resolution chemical and/or stable and radiogenic isotope analyses. The project can also include an experimental component. A major aim will be to establish a link between deformation processes and trace element distributions in carbonate mylonitic shearzones. The project is embedded in national and international collaborations, amongst others, with the University of Bern in Switzerland, the Queensland University of Technology in Australia as well as with the Australian Synchrotron.

    The candidate must hold a M.Sc. in Earth Sciences, geology or mineralogy. The applicant should have a very good knowledge of structural geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Experience with structural field work as well as analytical experience with electron beam microanalysis (SEM) will be of benefit. Very good English language skills are also required.

    The University of Fribourg is a trilingual (French/German/English) university in a bilingual (French/German) town near the Swiss Alps and equally distant from the international airports of Basel, Geneva, and Zurich. The working group language is English. German or French language skills are welcome but not required, but the university offers free language courses for PhD students. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit, but preference will be given to candidates with the appropriate scientific background.

    PhD contracts at the University of Fribourg are 75 to 80% (based on a 42-hour working week) and include obligation to help with undergraduate teaching and departmental duties (5 hours/week). Salaries are internationally competitive (ca. CHF 47-50k/year depending on year) and generous considering local living costs. The position will commence earliest on 1st of November 2027.

    To apply, please send the following by email: a one or two page cover letter highlighting your background and explaining your motivations of the application, a curriculum vitae, and names of at least two references and their contact information.

    Applications will be reviewed starting mid of September 2026. However, the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. For all questions and for submission, please contact Prof. Dr. Ismay Vénice Akker by Mail.