Your tasks
Current LCA methods are not tailored to space activities and exhibit major methodological gaps in modelling the environmental impacts of rocket and satellite launch or re-entry emissions. Time- and location-dependent Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods are either missing or incomplete, and a holistic framework for transparent and reproducible LCA studies in the space sector is lacking.
You will develop a novel scientific LCA framework to quantify environmental impacts and trade-offs of rocket launches, artificial re-entries, and the broader space sector. Your main focus will be on contributions to LCIA method development in close collaboration with aerospace engineers, atmospheric and climate scientists working on atmospheric emissions related to launch and re-entry activities, as well as dynamic/prospective LCA. Additional aspects include uncertainty assessment, robustness evaluation or system design optimization.
You will be enrolled in the ETHZ (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) doctoral school, and receive your PhD title from ETHZ. This position is part of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Network (DN) “SLICE” (Space Launch Impact on Climate and Environment). You will have the status as a “SERI-funded MSCA DN Grantee”. As part of the MSCA DN, you will visit the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium in Davos (PMOD, Davos, Switzerland) and Deimos Engineering and Systems SLU (DES, Puerollano, Spain) for ca. 3 months each. You will collaborate closely with the other SLICE research projects and participate in network training and workshops.
Your profile
- MSc or equivalent degree in atmospheric sciences, aerospace engineering, environmental engineering, industrial ecology, or related field
- Strong intrinsic motivation to integrate knowledge from aerospace engineering, atmospheric and climate sciences to LCA
- Basic knowledge of LCA
- Good programming skills, preferably in python and data science-related workflows
- Ability to work efficiently and independently in a diverse interdisciplinary, and multi-cultural environment
- Willingness to travel, as secondments and training events are mandatory
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English
- Interest in open-source software development
Horizon Europe MSCA Mobility Rule: Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organization (Switzerland) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date – unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention. Horizon Europe MSCA Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral Candidates (DC) must, at the date of recruitment by the host organization, have not been awarded a doctoral degree. Applicants must be eligible to enroll on a PhD program at ETHZ.
We offer
PSI: An interdisciplinary, innovative, and collaborative environment with systematic on-the-job training, personal development opportunities, and strong support for balancing work with family or other commitments through modern employment conditions and on-site infrastructure.
LEA: A leading group in developing open Python packages for LCA, including Brightway, premise, and edges. You will receive hands-on training on LCA and work with these LCA tools alongside atmospheric emission, trajectory, and launcher optimisation models from project partners such as LEAT, REAT, WACCM.
SLICE consortium: An international network of 30+ researchers across multiple disciplines. You will benefit from a structured training program on space transportation systems, atmospheric and environmental impacts. The position is funded for 36 months (extendable up to 12 months) with a competitive salary, allowances, and additional funding for technical training and conference participation.
Interested candidates are invited to submit one single PDF containing the following documents in this exact order:
- Application form
- Cover letter
- An evidence-based CV that reflects a representative array of achievements and qualifications appropriate to the position you are applying for
- Reference letters or, at minimum, the contact details of persons that may be contacted for reference
- Educational and professional certificates (university degree(s) with marks, internships, workshops, languages, etc.)
Moreover, you must submit:
- Short video (maximum 30 seconds, not longer). The video must include: personal introduction, background and your motivation to apply to the research position
All the application documents must be submitted via email to slice@tu-dresden.de
The email subject must be “Application for DC18 position”.
The email size incl. attachments must not exceed 30 MB in total.
You will receive an automatic reply if we have received your email. Please avoid any questions on the status of the selection process. We will inform you as soon as there is an update.
Candidates whose application is not compliant with the requirements above will not be considered.
Application deadline: 31 March 2026 at 11:59 PM CEST
Expected starting date:1 October 2026
Applications and enclosures received after the deadline will not be considered.
More information and other vacant positions can be found at:
- Website: https://slice-dn.eu/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-dn/
For further information, please contact Karin Treyer, email karin.treyer@psi.ch
Paul Scherrer Institute, Human Resources Management, Mariusz Prus, Forschungsstrasse 111 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland