Empa

Postdoctoral Researcher on Positive Energy Districts

Dübendorf, Switzerland

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Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Urban Energy Systems Laboratory develops strategies, solutions, and methods that support the development of decarbonized, resilient, and equitable urban energy systems.

Postdoctoral Researcher on Positive Energy Districts

Your tasks
We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join our scientific team and advance the development of strategies and methods for designing and assessing Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). This role will primarily focus on the techno-economic analysis of PEDs, integrating these findings with socio-economic and policy considerations to create a comprehensive framework for PED planning. This framework will be applied in real-world urban case studies.

The successful candidate will work closely with our interdisciplinary team and external scientific partners, including TU Wien, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and OpenEXP, as well as practitioners from municipalities, utilities, and government institutions. The position involves bridging theoretical research with practical applications, guiding PhD students, contributing to scientific journals, and showcasing findings at conferences.

Your profile
We are seeking a highly motivated and dedicated candidate with a PhD in Engineering, Economics, Management, or a related field. The ideal candidate will possess deep interdisciplinary knowledge of the ongoing energy transition, with specific expertise in energy communities/positive energy districts, energy markets/policies, and energy conversion/storage technologies, especially within Switzerland and the EU.

Key qualifications include strong programming, modelling, and data analysis skills, preferably in Python. Experience in model-based policy design is a valuable asset. A robust research and publication record is essential, and experience in the development, acquisition, and management of research projects is beneficial. Proficiency in English is required. Good comprehension and oral skills in German are desirable.

Our offer

We offer an international, multifaceted, highly stimulating research environment with excellent infrastructure and broad interdisciplinary surroundings with plenty of possibilities for personal and professional development. For further enquiries, please contact Dr Binod Koirala, Group Leader Buildings & Cities, Dr Mashael Yazdanie, Group Leader Macro-Energy Systems, or Dr Georgios Mavromatidis, Head of Laboratory.

We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.

We look forward to receiving your complete online application including a letter of motivation, CV, certificates, diplomas and contact details of two reference persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.