Project Engineer / Project Engineeress in Additive Manufacturing of Plastics

Project Engineer - Additive Manufacturing of Plastics

80%-100%, Zurich, Permanent

Inspire AG is the leading Swiss competence centre for product innovation and advanced manufacturing. As a strategic partner of ETH Zurich, our mission is to seamlessly transfer knowledge and technology from research to the Swiss machine, electrical, and metal industries.

The research group in additive manufacturing at Inspire is offering a position in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Lab (amlz) at ETH Zurich.

Project Background

Our team is dedicated to developing advanced materials and sustainable processing strategies for polymer and ceramic additive manufacturing. We focus on energy-efficient production routes and enhancing the reliability and quality of laser powder bed fusion (PBF) of plastic components.

Job Description

We are looking for a Project Engineer to lead a new R&D project aimed at increasing the efficiency of feedstock production and reducing overall energy consumption in powder-based additive manufacturing processes. This role includes material development, testing and evaluation, coordination with industrial partners, and contributing to long-term research planning within the group.

Your Tasks

• Lead a multi-year project on energy-reduction strategies in PBF of plastics (entire production chain).
• Develop and test new materials, additives, and processing strategies, including the printing and testing of parts.
• Plan and execute laboratory experiments, including Design of Experiments (DoE), with meticulous documentation.
• Characterize powders and printed parts through thermal analysis, flowability tests, and property assessments.
• Coordinate with industrial and academic partners (ETH) and support technology transfer initiatives.
• Prepare proposals, publications, and conference abstracts, including a PhD proposal.
• Supervise bachelor’s and master’s level students.

Profile

Required Experience

• CH/EU/EFTA citizenship or a valid work permit for Switzerland.
• Project experience, preferably in industry.
• Master’s degree in materials, additive manufacturing, polymer engineering, chemistry, or related fields.
• Experience with polymers, additives, fatigue/durability testing, and additive manufacturing.
• Preferably experienced with powder bed fusion of plastics.
• Skills in material characterization (microscopy, mechanical testing, DSC, rheology).
• Fluency in English; knowledge of German is a plus.
• Experience in writing proposals or publications is advantageous.

Required People Skills

• Highly self-organized and structured approach to work, with a strong solution orientation.
• Strong motivation to learn and contribute to new research topics.
• Excellent teamwork skills, positive work attitude, and creativity.

Workplace

We offer a full-time position for a researcher, with the opportunity to pursue a PhD thesis at ETH. Through close collaboration with our project partners, you will quickly establish valuable industry contacts. In our dynamic team, you will work at the forefront of today's knowledge in multi-material additive manufacturing.

Curious? So are we.

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

For technical questions, please contact Dr. Daniel Werner, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Inspire-St.Gallen, via email at daniel.werner@inspire.ch. We also invite you to visit our websites for more information on Inspire and Advanced Manufacturing.