Director of Space Research Initiatives / Directoress of Space Research Initiatives

ETH Zurich | Space

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specializing in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, cutting-edge research, and its commitment to transforming new knowledge and innovations into practical applications.

About ETH Zurich | Space

Under the guidance of its academic director Prof. Thomas Zurbuchen, ETH Zurich | Space is enhancing space activities to establish ETH Zurich as the premier institution for space research, education, and entrepreneurship within Europe and beyond.

One of the key pillars of ETH Zurich | Space is to expand research activities and space missions through collaborations with academic institutions, industrial partners, startups, and agencies. To support this mission, ETH Zurich | Space has created Innovation and Project Hubs, alongside various initiatives to aid researchers at ETH and beyond.

The Innovation Hub serves as an incubator for groundbreaking space-related ideas, promoting experimentation and rapid prototyping to validate or refute new, high-risk, and potentially high-reward concepts. Meanwhile, the Project Hub provides centralized expertise in project management, space systems engineering, and specialized engineering knowledge to assist with space projects and missions in both traditional and innovative formats. Additionally, the team actively connects researchers with opportunities enabled by commercial collaborations and non-traditional resources, while also disseminating information on initiatives from the European Space Agency and Swiss space programs.

Position: Director Space Research Initiatives

ETH Zurich | Space is seeking a Director for Space Research Initiatives. This position, which is set to commence as soon as possible, will oversee the Project and Innovation Hubs, and ensure interdisciplinary collaboration while guiding the development of projects initiated by ETH researchers through their entire lifecycle.

The Director will facilitate seamless transitions between various phases such as idea generation, proposal preparation, mission development, and operational deployment. Furthermore, this role involves actively engaging with ETH researchers to promote space as a strategic research domain and encouraging faculty participation in space-related activities. The Director will also support the strategic integration of space data applications into ETH research, fostering innovative applications of space data across multiple disciplines.

Collaboration between the Innovation and Project Hubs is essential, as the Director will ensure proper coordination, guide project allocation between the two hubs, and promote the exchange of ideas.

Responsibilities

• Implement and propel the success of the Project and Innovation Hubs.
• Continuously evaluate and refine the Project and Innovation Hubs, including developing processes to track success and impact.
• Manage a central pool of space experts including project managers and systems engineers, overseeing resource allocation for various space-related projects.
• Establish and manage administrative support for space-related endeavors of ETH researchers.
• Organize internal promotion of the Project and Innovation Hubs among researchers and professors across various departments.
• Encourage collaborations with academic partners, industrial firms, and agencies globally.
• Maintain an extensive network within the space sector to better understand the evolving needs of space-related companies.
• Contribute to fundraising efforts for the Project and Innovation Hubs.
• Engage with peer institutions globally to benchmark best practices.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a natural science or engineering discipline.
• Several years of experience in space-related research and projects, either in academia, agencies, or the private sector.
• Management experience in complex projects or programs, preferably as a Principal Investigator (PI) or project manager.
• Demonstrated experience in space hardware design and construction.
• A well-established network among key stakeholders in the global space community.

Skills

• Proven leadership and management skills.
• Strong collaborative abilities in diverse teams.
• Analytical skills with a knack for fostering innovative solutions.
• Exceptional communication skills across various environments, including academia, industry, and governmental agencies.
• Expert-level knowledge in space-related science or engineering, with fluency in English; knowledge of German is a plus.

Join Our Team

This role offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic, international environment at one of the world's leading technical universities, alongside a motivated team passionate about enhancing space activities at ETH Zurich.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For additional information about ETH Zurich | Space, please visit our website or our LinkedIn channel “ETH Zurich | Space.”

For inquiries about the position, please reach out to Michael Gschweitl at Show e-mail.ch">Show e-mail (no applications will be accepted via this email).

Application Deadline: 30.06.2025