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 leave to inquire about future possibilities.

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  • Teaching and Research Associate in Micropaleontology, 80-100%, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

    The Department of Geosciences of the University of Fribourg is seeking a postdoctoral lecturer and researcher in the field of micropaleontology. The position is available at 80-100% at the level of a research assistant (fr: maître-assistant-e; de: Oberassistent*in) for five years starting September 2025.

    The Department of Geosciences offers bachelor and master’s degrees in the fields of geography, environmental science and humanities, and earth sciences. The successful candidate will support the teaching needs of the department for a minimum of four hours per week per semester in the fields of micropaleontology, statistics, and general geology. The ability or willingness to teach in French or German is desirable.

    In addition to teaching, the successful candidate is expected to develop a rigorous, externally funded research program in the broader field of micropaleontology, including the training of micropaleontology students at all levels. There are no expectations regarding the taxon or fraction of choice. If the pool of applicants is sufficient, preference will be given to candidates with specializations in the field of taxonomy, biostratigraphy, paleoenvironment, paleoclimatology, paleoecology, environmental statistics, and evolution.

    The Department of Geosciences is affiliated with the Jurassica Museum in Porrentruy and hosts numerous imaging and lab facilities (CT platform, SEM platform, XRD and XRF facilities, microscopy lab, isotope lab, experimental lab).

    The Department of Geosciences is an equal opportunity employer. To apply, please Email  your application to Prof. Walter Joyce.

    Your application package should include

    1. A motivation letter,
    2. Your CV, including your teaching and funding record,
    3. Five select publications,
    4. A short statement listing your previous scientific achievements and your academic goals for the next five years, and
    5. A list of three people that can provide reference letters.

    The department will start reviewing applications November 15th, 2024, but the call will remain open until the end of the year.

  • 2 open PhD positions in Mineralogy-Petrology on “Fluid circulation in mantle rocks”

    The Mineralogy-Petrology group at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Fribourg invites applications for two 4-year Ph.D. positions funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The PhD positions frame within the SNF-funded research project “Fluid circulation in mantle rocks: Insights from ophiolite sequences and 1.2 km of serpentinite drilled at the Atlantis Massif”. The overall aim of the project is to constrain the impact of alteration, magmatic, and microbial processes on the sulfur and carbon budget of seawater-exposed mantle rocks, to evaluate the links between magmatic, hydrothermal and biogenic processes, and to constrain the meteoric fluid input in continental sites of serpentinization. The project is embedded in national and international collaborations, amongst others, with partners in Germany, Italy, and the US.

    The first PhD project (Sulfur uptake in the shallow upper mantle) will mainly focus on seafloor drill cores recovered during IODP Exp. 399 to the Atlantis Massif and dredged serpentinites from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The work will center around the petrological and geochemical characterization of the sulfur phases and will include both bulk rock wet chemical methods and high resolution in situ techniques.

    The second PhD project (Organic and inorganic carbon distribution in peridotites) will be focused on the characterization of organic and inorganic carbon species in peridotites from the Mirdita ophiolite in Albania. This project will include field work, petrological and geochemical characterization of carbon species, and use bulk rock and in situ geochemical techniques.

    Candidates for both positions must hold a M.Sc. in Earth Sciences, geology, or mineralogy. The applicant should have very good knowledge of petrology, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Analytical experience with electron beam microanalysis (EPMA and/or SEM), as well as experience with mass spectrometric techniques is desirable. 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. 

    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, certificates, and names of at least two references and their contact information. 

    Applications will be reviewed starting November 1st, 2024. However, the position will remain open until suitable candidates are found. Applications should be made via Email  in one single PDF file to Prof. Dr. Esther Schwarzenbach.

  • Open postdoctoral position in Mineralogy-Petrology (80-100%) “Meteoric fluid impact in ophiolite sequences”

    The Mineralogy-Petrology group at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Fribourg invites applications for a 3-year Postdoctoral position funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The Postdoc position frames within the SNF-funded research project “Fluid circulation in mantle rocks: Insights from ophiolite sequences and 1.2 km of serpentinite drilled at the Atlantis Massif”. The overall aim of the SNF project is to constrain the meteoric fluid input in continental sites of serpentinization and to evaluate the impact of alteration, magmatic, and microbial processes on the sulfur and carbon budgets of mantle rocks from seawater to meteoric fluid-rock interaction.

    Within the frame of this project the postdoctoral work will focus on constraining the meteoric fluid influx in an ophiolite sequence and will involve extensive mapping and field work, and petrographic and geochemical bulk rock and in situ analyses. The project is embedded in national and international collaborations, amongst others, with partners in Germany and Italy.

    The candidate must hold a PhD in Earth Sciences. The applicant should have experience in field work (involving lithological and structural mapping) and very good knowledge of petrology, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Analytical experience with electron beam microanalysis (EPMA and/or SEM) is desirable. 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. 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. 

    To apply, please send the following by email: 

    • Cover letter mentioning the position for which the candidate is applying
    • Complete CV, including a certified copy of the diploma of the highest degree 
    • Complete list of publications
    • 1-2 page description of major scientific achievements and future research directions 
    • Name and addresses of three references 

    Applications will be reviewed starting November 1st, 2024. However, the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. The application should be made via Email  in one single PDF file.

    For all questions and for submission of the application please contact Prof. Dr. Esther Schwarzenbach by Email  .