Graduate Assistant in Atmospheric Physics and AI

Introduction

Unil is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics invites applications for one position as Graduate Assistant / PhD candidate in Atmospheric Physics and AI within the DAWN group. This position is one of two PhD positions at the broad intersection of atmospheric physics and artificial intelligence. The position will be hosted within the Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics and Unil's Expertise Center for Climate Extremes.

The full job descriptions and detailed application instructions are available here.

Job information

Expected start date in position : 01.09.2026 or to be agreed

Contract length : 1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years, maximum 5 years

Activity rate : 80%

Workplace : Quartier Mouline, Géopolis building, University of Lausanne

The position is funded at an 80% activity rate, corresponding to an approximate salary of CHF 54k in year 1, with progression according to Unil salary scales.

Applicants to Position 1 will automatically also be considered for Position 2, unless they state otherwise.

Your responsibilities

The successful candidate will conduct a PhD project at the interface of atmospheric physics and artificial intelligence.

At least 50% of the working time will be dedicated to the PhD thesis. The remaining time will include assistance tasks related to teaching and research activities, research work not directly related to the PhD thesis topic, and technical or administrative tasks linked to the activities of the institute.

In practice, PhD students in the group are expected to TA 1-2 courses during the Fall semestre only. For Position 1, proficiency in French is required because the candidate is expected to TA a Bachelor-level course taught in Frnech.

Research topics of intereste are listed here. The PhD project idea proposed in the appplication is not expected to be final. It will serve as a starting point for discussion and will be developed collaboratively during the selection process and, for the selected candidate, during the PhD.

Your qualifications

Applicants should have :

• Intention to write a thesis at the interface of atmospheric physics and artificial intelligence.


• A master's degree, or an equivalent degree expected before the start date, in a quantitative field related to atmospheric science, climate science, physics, applied mathematics, statistics, computer sicence, machine learning, data science, or a closely related discipline.


• Strong scientific programming and data-analysis skills, ideally including proficiency in Python.


• Experience working with scientific datasets or large-scale numerical/model output.


• A solid foundation in applied mathematics and/or physics.


• Ensthusiasm for both atmospheric science and scientific machine learning.


• Proficiency in both English and French.

Additional experience with high-performance computing, machine-learning methods or frameworks, climate/weather/atmospheric datasets, numerical weather prediction, Earth-system modeling, open-source workflows, teaching, or mentoring is welcome but not required.

Proficiency in German is not required. Free French and Swiss German courses are available at Unil.

What the position offers you

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover. Further information on Unil employment conditions and benefits is available at :

unil.ch/work

The position is funded at an 80% activity rate, corresponding to an approximate salary of CHF 54k in year 1, with progression according to Unil salary scales. It also includes funded research equipment, access to Unil's high-performance CPU/GPU coomputing facilities, in-person computing support, and fundig for research-related travel.

Salary scales are available here 

Contact for further information

Questions about the position or the application process can be addressed by email to : [email protected]

Your application

Deadline : 15.06.2026

Please, submit the following documents in PDF format :

• Curriculum Vitae


• Copies of university degree certificates and transcripts


• A separate PDF with the names, affiliations, and email addresses of two references


• One lead-authored research report


• A short additional statement of no more than 250 words


• A personal statement of no more than 500 words describing a creative yet feasible PhD project idea in atmospheric physics and AI

No motivation letter or generic cover letter is required.

Only applications through this website will be taken into account.

We thank you for your understanding.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:

•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;

•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;

•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;

•    supporting early career researchers.

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