Soil Microbiology & Ecology Research Assistant — 6 Months

Eidgen; Birmensdorf (ZH); On-site; CHF 54,000 - 72,000; Part time

Job summary

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL in Switzerland is seeking a Research Assistant in Soil Microbiology / Ecology for 80% time, starting January 2027. The role focuses on soil biodiversity, microbial functions, and lab-based analyses including DNA extraction and eDNA library preparation.

You will join the Soil Community Ecology group and contribute to measuring soil physicochemical parameters while coordinating with a collaborative team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in biology or environmental sciences.
• Background in microbiology and/or ecology.
• Fluent in English with strong communication and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Extract DNA from environmental samples in molecular labs.
• Prepare eDNA metabarcoding libraries for sequencing.
• Quantify microbial biomass and functional genes; measure soil parameters.

Skills

Molecular biology

Team spirit

English communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in biology/environmental sciences

Tools

DNA extraction

eDNA metabarcoding

Laboratory techniques

Job description

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL in Switzerland is seeking a Research Assistant in Soil Microbiology / Ecology for 80% time, starting January 2027. The role focuses on soil biodiversity, microbial functions, and lab-based analyses including DNA extraction and eDNA library preparation.

You will join the Soil Community Ecology group and contribute to measuring soil physicochemical parameters while coordinating with a collaborative team.