PhD Candidate – NCCR CLIM+ - 80%

PhD Candidate – NCCR CLIM+ - 80%

Job Description

The Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM) at the University of Geneva is opening a PhD assistant position at 80% at the Research Institute for Statistics and Information Science (RISIS). This position is part of the NCCR CLIM project https://www.nccr-climplus.ch/ . This project aims to support Switzerland in its transformation towards a climate-resilient society. In partnership with relevant stakeholders, its interdisciplinary research community is committed to exploring innovative solutions to the climate crisis and developing a reference framework for concrete and internationally applicable climate research. NCCR CLIM+ ensures the dissemination and sharing of knowledge while training a new generation of specialists with the necessary disciplinary and transdisciplinary skills.

The successful candidate will join Professor Sebastian Engelke’s research group and must enrol in the PhD programme in statistics at GSEM. The doctoral thesis should contribute to the research component of the NCCR Clim+ project “Past Changes and Attribution of Climate Extremes” through the development of methodologies applicable to extreme climate variations. The thesis work may also focus on the use of AI in weather forecasting and climate models such as GraphCast, AIFS or GenCast.

The successful candidate will devote their activities to research while performing assistant duties for various courses at bachelor and/or master level. Tasks include, for example, leading some tutorials, preparing exam questions, marking exams, and supervising master’s theses. The assistant will also support Professor Engelke’s research activities.

The successful candidate will be employed on the basis of a renewable one-year contract. The assistant position has a maximum duration of 4 years. The first three months constitute a probationary period during which either party may terminate the employment agreement with one month’s notice.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Master’s degree in statistics, probability theory, climate science or a related field;
• Strong interest in at least one of the following areas: extreme value theory, machine learning, climate science or weather forecasting;
• Motivation, self-discipline and initiative to successfully complete a doctoral thesis;
• Excellent proficiency in Python;
• Excellent English skills, both oral and written.

Starting Date

1 February 2027, or date to be agreed.

Contact

For further details about the position, you may email Professor Engelke ( Sebastian.Engelke@unige.ch ).

Additional Information

Your application must include a motivation letter, a detailed CV including contact details of 2 referees, Bachelor/Master transcripts, and Bachelor/Master theses (if available).

Applications must be submitted exclusively via the University of Geneva website by clicking the button below ("Postuler/ Apply now"). Applications sent by email will not be considered. Applications must be submitted no later than 15 October 2026 (midnight, Geneva time).

The NCCR CLIM+ project is committed to promoting equal opportunities in recruitment. We believe that diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences contributes to more innovative and effective research.

Job description

The Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM) at the University of Geneva is opening a PhD position (80%) at the Research Institute for Statistics and Information Science (RISIS). The position will be integrated in the NCCR CLIM+ https://www.nccr-climplus.ch/ . The project supports Switzerland in the transformation towards a climate-resilient society. Together with stakeholders, the interdisciplinary NCCR CLIM+ research community tackles unexplored solution spaces to the climate crisis and develops a blueprint for actionable climate research worldwide. NCCR CLIM+ broadly communicates and shares knowledge and trains a new generation of experts with the necessary domain and transdisciplinary knowledge.

The successful candidate will join Professor Sebastian Engelke’s research group and is expected to enrol in GSEM’s PhD in Statistics. The focus of the PhD thesis is to contribute to the NCCR CLIM+ work package on “Past Changes and Attribution of Climate Extremes” through the development of statistical methodology for climate extremes. Another focus is the use of AI weather forecasting and climate models such as GraphCast, AIFS or GenCast.

In addition to working on their research, the selected candidate will act as Teaching Assistant for various courses, both at Bachelor and Master levels. The tasks involve for instance running some tutorials, preparing exam questions, grading exams, and supervising master’s theses. Other duties include providing support for Professor Engelke’s research activities.

The chosen candidate will be hired on a renewable 1-year contract. The assistant position has a maximum duration span of 4 years. The first 3 months constitute a trial period during which both parties can terminate the working agreement with a 1-month notice period.

Job qualifications & requirements

• Master’s degree in statistics, probability theory, climate science or a related field.
• Strong interest in at least one of these fields: extreme value theory, machine learning, climate science, weather forecasting.
• Motivation, self-discipline and proactiveness to complete a doctoral thesis.
• Excellent programming skills in Python.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.

Starting Date

February 1st, 2027, or date to be agreed upon.

Applications

Your application must include a motivation letter, a detailed CV including contact information for 2 references, grade transcripts of Bachelor/Master, and Bachelor/Master theses (if available).

Applications must be submitted exclusively via the University of Geneva website by clicking the button below (“Postuler/ Apply now”). Email applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted by October 15th, 2026 (midnight, Geneva time).

For further inquiries about the position, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Engelke ( Sebastian.Engelke@unige.ch ).

The NCCR CLIM+ strives to implement equal opportunity at hiring. At NCCR CLIM+ we believe that diversity of thought, background and experience creates better research.

The University of Geneva offers motivating employment conditions in a stimulating working environment. By joining us, you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills and personality and actively contribute to the reputation of an institution founded in 1559.

In the interest of gender parity, the University encourages applications from the underrepresented sex.