Whenever there are any new positions available at the ICOS or related communities we will announce it on this page.
If you have information about related open vacancies, please email ICOS Communications at icos-comms (at) icos-ri.eu
Open positions in the ICOS field
The Peatland Science Group works broadly on many key topics of peatland research. In addition to basic palaeo-ecological research, we conduct studies and projects on the sustainable use of peatlands (paludiculture), the recording of carbon turnover and greenhouse gas exchange in wetlands as well as the synthesis of available data on the role of peatlands and wetlands (including coastal ecosystems) in the Earth's climate system. Landscape-ecological peatland and wetland research is based on collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange. We combine basic research with possible applications and practical relevance.
In the MoorPower research project we aim to analyse the technical, ecological and socio-economic effects and legal aspects of combining peatland rewetting and photovoltaics (peatland PV) for the first time to derive recommendations for the specific implementation of peatland/Paludi PV in Germany. The University of Greifswald is coordinating the research project at the Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology; the Institute of Microbiology, the Institute of Geography and Geology, the Zoological Institute and Museum, and the Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law (IfEUS) are also involved. Collaborating partners are the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, the University of Hohenheim, the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, and practice partners.
The position advertised here will investigate the greenhouse gas exchange of rewetted fens with and without ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. Peatlands emit large amounts of CO2 when drained. With good vegetation development, rewetted peatlands absorb CO2 and release CH4. The effects are strongly dependent on the water level and vegetation. The effects of photovoltaic systems on peatlands are currently unknown. Methodologically, the position holder will combine measurements of GHG exchange using the canopy method with surveys of additional data (partly also from cooperation partners), such as water levels, soil moisture, soil and air temperatures, DOC and nutrients in pore water, etc. The position is suitable for the completion of a doctorate.
Deadline for applications is 30 April 2025.
The Peatland Science Group works broadly on many key topics of peatland research. In addition to basic palaeo-ecological research, studies and projects on the sustainable use of peatlands (paludiculture), the recording of carbon turnover and greenhouse gas exchange as well as the synthesis of available data on the role of peatlands and peatland sites in the Earth's climate system play an important role. Landscape-ecological peatland research is fundamentally co-operative and interdisciplinary. We combine basic research with possible applications and practical relevance. Its strength lies in the breadth and integration of research with the implementation of rewetting and peatland restoration.
The aim of the MOOSland research project is to further develop peat moss paludiculture as part of a model and demonstration project funded by the BMEL and to bring it into widespread use. The position advertised here will compare the greenhouse gas exchange of existing and newly established peat moss paludiculture systems and will also include reference measurements on drained raised bog grassland. The analysis will be based in particular on data from quasi-continuous measurements with Eddy Covariance but also on campaign-based canopy measurements and will include other additional data (water levels, soil moisture, soil and air temperatures, DOC and nutrients in pore water, etc.). The EC systems run and are permanently supervised by an engineer-technician, the canopy measurements will be organized by the person to be hired here and implemented in cooperation with a field technician working across sub-projects. The position is suitable for the completion of a doctorate.
Deadline for applications is 15th May 2025.
The Peatland Science Group works broadly on many key topics of peatland research. In addition to basic palaeo-ecological research, studies and projects on the sustainable use of peatlands (paludiculture), the recording of carbon turnover and greenhouse gas exchange as well as the synthesis of available data on the role of peatlands and peatland sites in the Earth's climate system play an important role. Landscape-ecological peatland research is fundamentally co-operative and interdisciplinary. We combine basic research with possible applications and practical relevance. Its strength lies in the breadth and integration of research with the implementation of rewetting and peatland restoration.
The position advertised here will bundle and process expertise and knowledge on paludiculture across two research projects and expand it in dialogue with cooperation partners and stakeholders. The larger part of the position is located in the PaluWise project. This EU project aims to pool experience in demonstration areas with the participation of various interest groups to produce recommendations and thus promote implementation at an EU level. The MOOReturn project, which is based in MV, aims in particular to further develop and expand the value chain for wet meadow biomass. The implementation and study areas involved, as well as other paludiculture areas in MV, are also experience areas in the sense of the PaluWise project.
Deadline for applications is 15th May 2025.
The Peatland Science Group works broadly on many key topics of peatland research. In addition to basic palaeo-ecological research, studies and projects on the sustainable use of peatlands (paludiculture), the recording of carbon turnover and greenhouse gas exchange as well as the synthesis of available data on the role of peatlands and peatland sites in the Earth's climate system play an important role. Landscape-ecological peatland research is fundamentally co-operative and interdisciplinary. We combine basic research with possible applications and practical relevance. Its strength lies in the breadth and integration of research with the implementation of rewetting and peatland restoration.
We are seeking a replacement for technical tasks in the laboratory and field during maternity leave and subsequent parental leave. The position is divided into two parts: 50% (20 hours per week) is for general laboratory tasks (including occasional fieldwork) within the Moor Research Group, and a further 22% (8.8 hours per week) is for technical activities in the MOOSland project. MOOSland is a model and demonstration project focusing on the further development of peat moss paludiculture.
Deadline for applications is 11th May 2025.
Read more and apply here (in German).
Postdoctoral researcher, Integrating Flux Data and Remote Sensing to Quantify Environmental Footprints of Agroecosystems, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
The Grassland Sciences group at ETH Zurich is a vibrant and international working group at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich. Together with the team Earth Observation of Agroecosystems at Agroscope, we are looking for a reliable, enthusiastic, and highly motivated postdoc with a passion for science to join our team. Our research focuses on process- and system-understanding of agroecosystems (grasslands and croplands), in particular on their response to management and climate.
This position is embedded in a project on Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Trends of Environmental Footprints and Reductions of Climate Impacts in Switzerland (PERSIST), a collaboration with Dr. Helge Aasen at Agroscope, Switzerland. We aim to develop an innovative approach to quantify spatio-temporal patterns and trends of environmental footprints (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions and water use) and to assess management practices to reduce climate impacts of agriculture in Switzerland. We will combine high spatio-temporal resolution data streams from satellite remote sensing, eddy-covariance flux and meteorological measurements with site, soil, and management information to provide quantitative evidence of how land management practices are related to GHG emissions and water use.
Deadline for applications is 25th May 2025.
Doctoral student, Ecosystem COS exchange, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
The Grassland Sciences Group is a vibrant and international working group at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich. We are looking for a reliable, enthusiastic, and highly motivated doctoral student with a passion for science to join our team. Our research focuses on the process- and system-understanding of the biosphere- atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange and its drivers in forests and agroecosystems, in response to management and climate.
This position is part of the project Above- and below-canopy COS fluxes to constrain and partition forest CO2 and ET fluxes (ABACOS) funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The aim of this project is to quantify COS (carbonyl sulfide) fluxes at different spatial and temporal scales in a temperate broadleaf forest in Switzerland (Lägeren), using an unprecedented integration of co-located measurements. We will measure above- and below-canopy COS fluxes as well as CO2 and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes, and quantify contributions of soil, branch, and understory vegetation to ecosystem fluxes. Driver analyses with machine learning approaches will provide detailed insights into the underlying processes. A COS-based estimate of ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP) will be calculated and compared to other independent estimates. Thus, ABACOS will provide a comprehensive assessment of different GPP constraints and contribute unique COS flux data to the global COS community from a temperate mixed forest, where flux measurements are scarce. The ABACOS team will include a doctoral student (this position), a postdoc (years 3 and 4) and a technician (years 1 to 3).
The earliest starting date is 1 August 2025. We will start interviewing candidates end of May 2025.
PhD Opportunity: Developing Self-Supervised Models for High-Resolution Reconstruction of Biomass Carbon Storage Change in Equatorial African Forests, LSCE & INRAE
Tropical forests play a vital role in climate mitigation and biodiversity preservation. However, they are increasingly threatened by human activities and climate-related disturbances. Accurately quantifying the impact of these disturbances on the carbon dynamics and demography of tropical forests is crucial for understanding their future response to global change.
This PhD project will leverage recent advancements in remote sensing and artificial intelligence to generate 30 m resolution estimates of above-ground biomass dynamics in tropical moist and dry forests from 1990 to 2025. The project will integrate high-resolution biomass maps from the One Forest Vision Initiative (OFVI) with long-term forest disturbance records from Landsat satellites to construct spatially explicit biomass recovery curves. These curves will track biomass changes at different forest ages following disturbances such as fire, degradation, deforestation, and regrowth.
A data-driven carbon accounting model will be developed to estimate dynamic annual carbon losses and gains, providing new insights into regional and national carbon budgets of forest ecosystems. Additionally, forward-looking scenarios will be developed to assess how reductions in human-induced disturbances could enhance carbon storage.
The study will focus on humid forests in Central Africa, particularly in Gabon (in collaboration with AGEOS, the Gabonese Space Agency), the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If successful, the approach will be extended to other regions.
Additionally, this research could be linked to an AMAP Masters project on habitat and biodiversity mapping using foundation models.
Research Engineer position. Laboratoire de l’Atmosphère et des Cyclones (LACy), University of La Reunion, Saint-Denis, France
We invite you to apply for a 2-year Research Engineer position on developing visualization tools for the various and numerous datasets generated by the Observatory of Atmospheric Physics of La Réunion (OPAR) and satellite data.
The Observatory of Atmospheric Physics of La Réunion (OPAR) is a unique observation site through the quality of its infrastructure and instruments, and through its location in an area sparsely documented where physico-chemical processes take place that are essential for the understanding of the climate and improvement in its modelling. OPAR hosts 51 instruments (in situ, passive and active remote sensing) operated routinely and feeding national and international databases linked to national and international networks (WMO/GAW, AERONET, TCCON, WWLLN) and European Research Infrastructures (ACTRIS and ICOS). OPAR is operated by the Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers de la Réunion (OSU-R).
The objective of this Research Engineer position is to design and develop data visualizations and dashboards for researchers using data sets from various sources. This includes:
- Develop following OSU-R and AERIS development standards and best-in-class solutions
- Build high-performance, scalable and maintainable user interfaces using the latest web data visualization tools
- Play both sides of the house and act as an analyst and as engineer when defining solutions to user problems and prioritize for optimal outcomes
- Need to be able to speak to the researchers in their jargon and translate to Data Services solutions/providers such as AERIS
- Early-stage troubleshooting
- Application access
Read more and apply (advertisement is in French, then in English)