Doctoral position in severe thunderstorms, mountains and climate change

Organisation/Company

ETH Zürich

Research Field

Computer science » Programming
Environmental science » Earth science
Environmental science » Other
Physics » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

26 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Switzerland

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Doctoral position in severe thunderstorms, mountains and climate change

The High-Resolution Weather and Climate Modeling Group at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences (IAC) is recruiting a PhD student for a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funded Ambizione grant, starting between May 1st and  September 1st. Applications submitted before March 15 will be considered.

This role focuses on idealized, numerical modeling of severe thunderstorms in mountain regions, focusing on the effects of topography and climate change on hail and wind gusts. Project partners include MeteoSwiss, Pennsylvania State University, and the European Severe Storms Laboratory. The project includes funding for a visit with project partners abroad, as well as participation in a planned field campaign.

The position will be based in the High-resolution weather and climate modeling group under the supervision of Dr. Monika Feldmann and Prof. Andreas Prein at ETH Zürich.

Project background

Severe thunderstorms are a major driver of weather-related damages and both occur frequently near mountain ranges and have particularly large climate change trends there. The combined effects of mountains and climate change on thunderstorms are poorly understood, as modeling these effects both require very high resolution and long time series of data, making it computationally expensive. By leveraging findings from recent km-scale modeling and exploiting high-resolution idealized modeling of typical cases, the physical drivers behind the enhanced climate trends over mountains can be identified and understood.
The funded Ambizione project entails the modeling of realistic case studies and idealized, general cases, the PhD project focuses on the idealized modeling portion.

Job description

The PhD student is expected to carry out independent research and identify physical drivers of severe thunderstorms in mountains by the use of high-resolution idealized modeling.

Specific tasks:

• Analyzing observational datasets to identify typical thunderstorm events
• Analyzing climate model data to identify systematic changes in thunderstorm environments
• Derive a representative, idealized initial setup for a numerical model (ICON)
• Design and run ICON modeling experiments that reflect the influences of topography and climate change
• Collaborate with international project partners in data exchange and modeling
• Present and communicate scientific findings at conferences and to the broader public
• Prepare peer-reviewed articles

Profile

Required qualifications and skills:

• Master’s degree in meteorology, climate science, physics or equivalent with demonstrated expertise or qualifications
• Programming experience in data analysis and visualization

Desired qualifications and skills:

• Prior experience with either severe thunderstorm dynamics or numerical modeling
• Familiarity in working with Linux on HPC clusters
• Programming experience in python
• Interest in extreme weather phenomena

We offer

• A fully funded PhD position at ETH Zurich within an SNSF Ambizione–funded project
• The opportunity to work on fundamental questions of severe thunderstorms, mountains, and climate change using state-of-the-art modeling
• Hands-on experience with high-resolution numerical simulations using ICON on leading HPC systems
• Close supervision in a highly interactive research environment
• Strong international collaboration with national and international partners
• Funding for research stays abroad and participation in a dedicated field campaign
• Support for publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences
• Competitive salary and employment conditions according to ETH Zurich regulations
• A dynamic, inclusive research group and an excellent working environment in Zurich

Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich We value diversity and sustainabilityIn line with our values , ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future .Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application until 14.03.2026 with the following documents:

• motivation letter
• CV
• MSc transcripts
• the contact information of 3 references

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Monika Feldmann, monika.feldmann@unibe.ch (no applications).

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

About ETH ZürichETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in
science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,
cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge
into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our
university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an
environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,
yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to
develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/eth-zurich/2026/doctoral-position-in-severe-th…

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Environmental science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Environmental science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Physics

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

ETH Zürich

Country

Switzerland

City

Zurich

Postal Code

8006

Street

Rämistrasse 101

Geofield

City

Zurich

Website

https://ethz.ch/en.html

Postal Code

8006

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