Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a complex class of thousands of chemicals. They are of increasing concern due to their persistence, potential toxicity and ubiquitous abundance in the environment. Understanding and evaluating their emission pathways is essential to plan and implement effective measures to reduce emission of PFASs. In this project, funded by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the occurrence of PFASs in ambient air will be investigated. Sampling a broad range of PFASs simultaneously is challenging, as is their subsequent simultaneous analysis. This project aims at overcoming these challenges to reliably measure atmospheric levels of PFASs and model their respective emission strengths in Switzerland. The results are directly relevant to the FOEN and will support regulatory decisions regarding PFASs.

• Develop and validate methods to sample and analyze various PFASs in ambient air 
• Conduct sampling campaigns in the city of Zürich and other locations in Switzerland 
• Model and evaluate atmospheric emissions of PFASs in Switzerland 
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.

• Master's degree in analytical chemistry, environmental science or related fields 
• Hands-on experience with mass spectrometry (LC-MS or GC-MS) 
• Experience with programming (Python or R) is a plus 
• Fluent in written and oral English. 
• Self-motivated, critical-thinking, open-minded and communicative team player 
• Willingness to work at night for short periods of time during critical sampling campaigns (one to two weeks per year) 
• Holder of a valid car driving license

We offer a fully funded PhD student position (3 years, full time) at Empa, the Swiss research institute for materials science and technology. The project offers the opportunity to work closely with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and to collaborate with experts from various Swiss research institutions. The working place will be in Dübendorf ZH and the PhD candidate will be enrolled at ETH Zurich. The position is available immediately or upon agreement.

We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.