Postdoc: Urban Tree Ecohydrology for City Cooling

Eidgen; Vaud; On-site; CHF 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Lausanne invites applications for a 2-year PostDoc in Urban Tree Ecophysiology and Ecohydrology, starting January 2027. You will join NovaCity to study urban green infrastructure performance using field measurements and modelling, with collaborative work at Sion, Fribourg and Winterthur.

The role requires a PhD in a relevant field, strong quantitative and writing skills, and experience with data analysis in R or Python.

Qualifications

• PhD in plant physiology, urban ecology, ecohydrology or a related field.
• Strong quantitative and scientific writing skills.
• Excellent communication, self-motivation and teamwork in interdisciplinary research.
• Experience with data analysis and modelling in R or Python is essential.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-situ measurements of tree water use and soil moisture.
• Parameterise an urban ecohydrological model using site data.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders and program partners across multiple sites.

Skills

Quantitative analysis

Scientific writing

Field research

R / Python data analysis

Education

PhD in plant physiology / urban ecology / ecohydrology

Tools

Sap flow sensors

Soil moisture sensors

Remote sensing data

Job description

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Lausanne invites applications for a 2-year PostDoc in Urban Tree Ecophysiology and Ecohydrology, starting January 2027. You will join NovaCity to study urban green infrastructure performance using field measurements and modelling, with collaborative work at Sion, Fribourg and Winterthur.

The role requires a PhD in a relevant field, strong quantitative and writing skills, and experience with data analysis in R or Python.