Doctoral Researcher in Food Processing Planetary and Human Health

Organisation/Company ETH Sustainable Food Processing Research Field All Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 30 Apr 2026 - 17:59 (Europe/Berlin) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2026 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

The ETH Sustainable Food Processing Group focuses on advancing food processing technologies and their role in sustainable food systems, using innovative approaches to tackle fundamental challenges such as the protein transition and food security. We use innovative sustainability assessment and emerging food system approaches as key tools to guide processing innovations toward holistic and impactful solutions.

We are looking for a:

• Highly motivated candidate to join a collaborative research project that explores how food processing affects both nutritional quality and environmental impact.

The overall vision is to identify and develop processing strategies that improve nutritional quality and environmental performance as assessed by nutritional life cycle assessment (nLCA) while creating appealing hybrid protein-rich products. Thus, in addition to executing processing trials, the role includes coordinating collaborations within the team and with external partners to ensure that nutritional, health, and sustainability aspects are systematically integrated into the research.

Our two well-equipped pilot plants, featuring technologies ranging from multi-scale extruders to high-pressure and thermal treatment systems, pulsed electric field (PEF) equipment, and more, will serve as the core experimental platform for the project. Advanced analytical methods (e.g., nutritional profile, bioaccessibility, dynamic mechanical analysis, imaging, spectroscopy) may be employed to assess product quality.

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Food Technology, Food Engineering, Food Science, Bioengineering, Biotechnology or a closely related field.

In addition, the candidate should have:

• Excellent academic qualifications.
• Advanced knowledge in food processing.
• Strong communication and writing skills and high self-motivation.
• Openness to interdisciplinary work and a flexible mindset.
• Enthusiasm for engineering, food technology, and sustainability-related questions.
• Expertise in structurization via extrusion, disintegration, or preservation technologies, as well as project management and nutrition, will be considered a plus.

Research Field Engineering

• A multicultural group with a diverse and interdisciplinary team composition.
• Exciting and varied projects in an innovative environment.
• Personal development opportunities through training, teaching, and further education.
• A dynamic, collegial working environment with flat hierarchies.

We look forward to receiving your online application
(English, PDF format), including:

• Motivation letter (max. 1 page) outlining your qualifications and motivation for this project.
• Research proposal (max. 3 pages) on "Future of food processing for affordable, nutritious and more sustainable foods", addressing current challenges, key literature, and innovative approaches.
• CV with list of scientific outputs (e.g., theses, papers).
• Contact details of 2 referees.
• Copies of BSc and MSc diplomas*.
• Copies of BSc and MSc theses (any language)*.
• Transcript listing exams with ECTS credits and grades.

* If you haven’t completed your MSc studies at the time of submission, please substitute the MSc diploma with a written statement by your supervisor specifying the expected completion date and confirming that you are expected to finish on time and include the most recent draft of your thesis.

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered. Furthermore, applications without a research proposal will not be considered either.

For further information about the group, please visit our website .

The earliest start date isspring 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. There is no deadline and the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

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