Agroscope
Technical/scientific Staff - Food and Food Waste LCA
8046 Zürich (Expected medium-term place of work: 1725 Posieux) | 80%-100%
good food, healthy environment
The 'Life Cycle Assessment' Research Group investigates environmental impacts and sustainability assessment in the agriculture and food sector. It develops methodologies, data and tools, applying them in projects concerning agricultural production systems, farms, or the agricultural sector with a view to improving agricultural products, foods, diets, nutritional scenarios, and agricultural policy measures.
The job remit involves contributing to two projects:
In the EU project 'WASTEWISE' you will calculate the environmental impacts of food waste along the life cycle with life-cycle analyses and quantify the impact of avoidance measures. In the project 'Basis for the quantitative evaluation of the ecological sustainability of Swiss free-trade agreements' you will quantify the environmental impacts of imported food and feed with life-cycle assessments.
The 'Life Cycle Assessment' Research Group investigates environmental impacts and sustainability assessment in the agriculture and food sector. It develops methodologies, data and tools, applying them in projects concerning agricultural production systems, farms, or the agricultural sector with a view to improving agricultural products, foods, diets, nutritional scenarios, and agricultural policy measures.
The job remit involves contributing to two projects:
In the EU project 'WASTEWISE' you will calculate the environmental impacts of food waste along the life cycle with life-cycle analyses and quantify the impact of avoidance measures. In the project 'Basis for the quantitative evaluation of the ecological sustainability of Swiss free-trade agreements' you will quantify the environmental impacts of imported food and feed with life-cycle assessments.
This is how you can contribute
- Creating life-cycle inventories for foods and imported products (including quality- and knowledge assurance)
- Calculating life-cycle assessments for foods, food waste and imported products
- Refining and developing models, methodologies and life-cycle inventories
- Publication of the results in international and national scientific journals
- Defining and applying strategies for quantifying environmental impacts in the event of missing data
This makes you unique
- Achievement-oriented, team-oriented and flexible personality
- University degree in the field of agricultural, environmental or food sciences or similar education
- Experience in life-cycle assessment and creating life-cycle inventories; good IT skills (knowledge of Python an advantage)
- Good knowledge of the agriculture and food sectors; solid knowledge of environmental sciences
- Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and a very good command of written and spoken English
Additional information
If this position appeals to you and you meet the requirements profile, we look forward to receiving your online application at www.stelle.admin.ch, ref. no. 12307 (English is not an official Swiss language, please choose German, French or Italian as correspondence language).
For further information, please contact Dr. Mélanie Douziech, melanie.douziech@agroscope.admin.ch, Tel. 058 465 87 60, or Dr. Thomas Nemecek, thomas.nemecek@agroscope.admin.ch, Tel. 058 468 72 54 (please do not send job applications to these email addresses).
Start date: 1 Jan. 2025 or as agreed. The post is for a fixed term of 2.5 years.
Reference number: JRQ$540-12307
What sets us apart
The 'Sustainability Assessment and Agricultural Management' Research Division develops decision-making bases to help policy-makers create optimal framework conditions for a competitive and multifunctional Swiss agricultural sector. The analysis of a wide range of data from the agriculture and food sector enables the identification of promising operating strategies and policy measures. The Research Division deals with issues concerning digitalisation in agriculture.
Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.
We offer you a varied job in an interesting work environment as well as thorough training. Flexible working hours and good employee benefits are additional perks of the job.
