Postdoctoral Researcher / Postdoctoral Researcher

Postdoctoral Researcher in AI for Climate Information Inference

100%, Zurich, Fixed-term

The postdoctoral researcher will advance the application of AI, large language models (LLMs), and machine learning to extract trustworthy climate information from large-scale geospatial and Earth system datasets within the NCCR CLIM+ program. This role effectively bridges climate science and AI, focusing on the development of innovative methods for climate data analysis, downscaling, and synthesis using foundation models (e.g., Google Earth AI, AlphaEarth, TerraTorch) on a state-of-the-art HPC platform. The researcher will conduct publishable scientific research while building tools and pipelines that serve the broader CLIM+ community. The position is jointly supervised by Prof. Andreas Prein, Prof. Erich Fischer, and Prof. Reto Knutti at ETH Zurich, alongside Prof. Markus Leippold at the University of Zurich.

Project Background

Climate science is generating rapidly growing volumes of satellite, reanalysis, and model data, creating both new opportunities and significant challenges for transforming data into robust and useful information. This project will develop AI-based methods to extract, synthesize, and interpret trustworthy climate information from large and complex Earth system datasets within the NCCR CLIM+ programme.

Job Description

• Design, develop, and apply AI/ML methods—including large language models (LLMs) and foundation models (Google Earth AI, AlphaEarth, TerraTorch)—to extract, synthesize, and reason about trustworthy climate information from large-scale geospatial, satellite, reanalysis, and climate model datasets.
• Utilize advanced physics-aware machine learning for kilometer-scale climate process representation.
• Implement and evaluate advanced generative AI models for high-resolution climate downscaling, data assimilation, emulation, and post-processing of weather-to-climate predictions.
• Develop methods for uncertainty quantification in downscaled projections of extreme weather and climate hazards.
• Work with multimodal Earth system data including satellite, airborne, in-situ, reanalysis, and high-resolution climate model outputs.
• Build robust, scalable software tools and data pipelines for processing large geospatial datasets, enabling CLIM+ project partners and the broader research community to leverage AI-driven climate information.
• Develop and maintain reproducible research workflows using modern software engineering practices (version control, testing, documentation, containerization).
• Conduct original, publishable scientific research generating novel insights at the intersection of AI and climate science.
• Write and submit peer-reviewed journal papers, present at international conferences, and contribute to NCCR CLIM+ reporting and grant proposals.
• Ensure that the research produces both scientific insight and methodological contributions to the field.
• Collaborate closely with research groups at ETH (Prein, Knutti, Fischer) and UZH (Leippold, Vaghefi, Colesanti Senni) to align AI development with climate science research questions.
• Participate in CLIM+ programme activities, workshops, and cross-project initiatives.
• Contribute to the supervision of students and interns where appropriate.

Profile

• PhD in climate science, atmospheric science, computer science, data science, physics, applied mathematics, remote sensing, or a related field.
• Strong publication record in AI, machine learning, or Earth system data science.
• Experience with large geospatial datasets, remote sensing, reanalyses, or climate/weather model output.
• Proficiency in Python and machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
• Experience with HPC and GPU-accelerated computing.
• Familiarity with foundation models / LLMs; interest in reproducible workflows.
• Independent, proactive, and collaborative working style with strong communication skills.

Workplace

We offer an exciting interdisciplinary research environment at the forefront of climate science and AI, a collaborative team culture with a close exchange across ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the NCCR CLIM+ network. Our institution provides strong support for career development through mentoring, scientific networking, publications, and conference participation. You will have access to state-of-the-art computing infrastructure and unique large-scale climate and geospatial datasets, as well as opportunities to develop your own research ideas and build an independent scientific profile. We promote a modern and inclusive workplace with attractive employment conditions and flexible work arrangements in line with institutional guidelines.

We value diversity and sustainability

In 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 discover 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.

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

About ETH Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing 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 individuals from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that fosters independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, we forge connections worldwide to develop solutions for today's and tomorrow's global challenges.