Job Description

WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is part of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL and thus of the ETH Domain. WSL focuses on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards. WSL employs approximately 600 people, of whom 180 work at SLF in Davos.



The group Hydrology and Climate Impacts in Mountain Regions at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos and the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich predicts hydro-climatic extreme events in mountain regions and quantifies their future changes. The group has strong expertise in water resources, extreme value analyses, statistical modelling, and climate impact assessments and is looking,

from summer/fall 2025

, for a

Postdoc in hydrological modelling and climate impact assessments of extreme events 80-100% (f/m/d)

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You will work in the project "Rhone floods in a changing climate (RhoClim)", which is funded by the Swiss Canton of Valais and a project of your choice related to changes in hydrological extremes (floods/droughts) in mountain regions. Floods and droughts are expected to change in severity and frequency in a future climate because of changes in different flood/drought generation processes. An improved understanding of the probability of extreme events under future climate conditions is crucial to develop sustainable adaptation measures. Within the RhoClim project, you will (1) set up and run a hydrological model for the Rhone river, (2) quantify future changes in flood hazard and its uncertainties, and (3) study the hydro-meteorological drivers of these changes. In addition, you will work on other research questions related to changes in hydrological extremes in mountain regions. You will publish your results in scientific journals and present them at international conferences. The work location will be at SLF in Davos with the possibility to collaborate closely with people at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich.
You hold a PhD degree in hydrology, environmental sciences, climate sciences, or a closely related field. We seek candidates with strong skills in programming (e.g. R or Python), statistics, hydrological modeling, and data science. A good publication record with respect to your career stage and research interests in climate change and hydrology complete your profile. We encourage applications from enthusiastic and dedicated individuals who have very good oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge in one of the national languages is considered an asset. You are motivated to work in an interdisciplinary and international working environment and you would enjoy working in a beautiful and varied mountain environment.


Please send your complete application to Simone Joos, Human Resources WSL/SLF, by uploading the requested documents (including a cover letter, CV, certificate & transcript of your highest degree earned, and an example of your own scientific writing in English) on our webpage. Applications via email will not be considered. Manuela Brunner, phone +41 81 417 03 42, e-mail manuela.brunner@slf.ch will be happy to answer any questions or offer further information. WSL is committed to diversity and inclusion as core values. We actively promote gender equality and foster an open, inclusive work environment.


Fluelastrasse 11, CH-7260 Davos Dorf