Wädenswil
Laboratory / Project Assistant 40 %
- 09 November 2026
- 40 – 60%
- Permanent position
- German (Fluent), English (Intermediate)
- Wädenswil
About the job
Are you interested in food, enjoy practical work, and like to organise your workday independently with pleasure? In the Food Sensory Research Group at ZHAW, a varied range of tasks awaits you. Through your work, you create the conditions for practice-oriented teaching as well as successful research and services.Laboratory / Project Assistant 40 %
Department:
Life Sciences and Facility Management
Start of work:
1 February 2027 or by arrangement
Tasks
You support our team at the interface of research, service, and teaching. Within the agreed processes and deadlines, you largely organise your tasks independently and contribute your own ideas for a well-functioning laboratory routine. You coordinate closely with the responsible staff. Your tasks include:
- Practical preparation and follow-up of teaching, sensory tests, and studies
- Purchasing food and product samples as well as procuring and providing consumables
- Preparation and processing of products and samples, for example by portioning, labelling, and providing
- Support in planning and conducting sensory examinations
- Assistance in recruiting and supervising test subjects
- Management of materials and stock as well as support during the annual inventory
- Administrative support, especially in data collection, documentation, and invoicing
- Ensuring order, cleanliness, and operational readiness of the test kitchen and sensory laboratories
Profile
You like to get involved, work carefully, and keep an overview even when several tasks come together. You appreciate teamwork as well as the opportunity to plan and act independently within your area of responsibility.
You bring with you:
- A completed vocational training, for example in the food sector, gastronomy, laboratory, commercial area, or a comparable professional field
- Interest in food and its preparation as well as enjoyment of practical and organisational activities
- A reliable, structured, and independent way of working
- Flexibility to coordinate your tasks with the agreed teaching and examination dates
- Team spirit and an open, friendly manner with students, test subjects, and staff
- Good MS Office skills
- Good German skills as well as English skills for everyday work Experience in a laboratory, food, or administrative environment is an advantage.
You can expect a varied part-time position with practical tasks, personal responsibility, and insights into the world of food sensory analysis. Within the framework of operational guidelines and fixed deadlines, you can actively help shape the organisation of your work. You will become part of a committed team and make a visible contribution to ensuring that teaching, research, and services run smoothly.
What we stand for
The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest multi-disciplinary universities of applied sciences in Switzerland, with over 14,000 students and more than 11,000 continuing education participants, as well as around 3,700 employees.
ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams to promote equality, diversity, and innovation.
Life Sciences and Facility Management : Studying and researching in Wädenswil: practice-oriented, creative, passionate, and reflective. With our expertise in Life Sciences and Facility Management, we make an important contribution in the fields of Environment, Food, and Health to solving our societal challenges and improving our quality of life.
Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation: "We understand food" – this holistic approach guides our institute.
We consider all developments relevant to food in society, economy, technology, and nature. In teaching, research, continuing education, and services, we focus on "managing the making of better food and beverages" – in close collaboration with companies, institutions, and authorities.
The institute's focus is thus on the application-oriented control and optimisation of manufacturing processes. The goal is products and solutions that optimally satisfy people's needs regarding nutrition. Our mission is "better" food and beverages that are enjoyable, healthy, safe, and sustainable from raw material to consumer.
The Food Sensory Research Group is dedicated to sensory analytics and consumer research. We know that excellent performance only arises through the committed collaboration of practice, teaching, and research. Therefore, we see ourselves as a bridge between university and industry.
What we offer
We offer university-appropriate working and employment conditions and actively promote the personnel development of our employees and managers. A detailed description of the benefits can be found on the page Working at ZHAW . Here are the key points:
Contact
Annette Bongartz
Head of Food Sensory Research Group
Manuela Laure
Recruiting Manager
