ETH Zürich Open Application for Postdoctoral Researcher in Wildfire Social Science, 2026.

A postdoctoral research position is available to a highly motivated social scientist.

The successful candidate will contribute to a third-party funded project – FiRES, which seeks to enhance community wildfire resilience in Europe.

FiRES is hosted by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) in the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (D-GESS) at ETH Zürich.

Project background.

Since 2023, the FiRES project has used a comparative case study design to investigate the diverse social geographies of wildfire across rural, regional, and urban-interface sites in six European countries, ranging from the fire-prone Mediterranean and the Alps to the growing risk of wildfire in northern Europe.
An online survey has provided a baseline of data, and in-person interviews have generated a rich body of in-depth, qualitative insights.
FiRES has now reached the analysis and write-up phase, examining factors that enable people to prepare for, adapt to, manage, and recover from wildfires.
It seeks insights that can enhance informed decision-making and increase community coping capacity across culturally and climatically diverse regions.
Europe has a unique opportunity to tackle the growing wildfire challenge by empowering communities, land managers, and fire professionals with knowledge and skills now before the threat becomes acute across the continent.
FiRES aims to assist this process by learning from people’s embodied, emotional, and practical experiences of living and working with wildfire.

The successful candidate will contribute to:

the analysis and write-up of the existing body of qualitative data, bringing together insights from diverse case studies
proven ability to work with qualitative data analysis software (e.g., MAXQDA, NVivo, ATLAS) is therefore a prerequisite, as is the ability to write academic articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals

The candidate needs to:

Be a skilled and reliable communicator, with attention to detail, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
The candidate will work closely with the Principal Investigator – Dr. Christine Eriksen, adapting to the established analytical framework and the broader project requirements
There will be an opportunity for lead-authoring publications, conference and/or workshop participation, and the development of policy and practical recommendations

PhD in human geography, political ecology, sociology of disasters, environmental history, or a related discipline
A track record of academic excellence, with peer-reviewed publications and qualitative research experience
Proven qualitative data analysis skills in MAXQDA, NVivo, or ATLAS software
Excellent English speaking and writing skills. Additional proficiency in German, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, or Catalan is desirable
Availability for job commencement in Spring 2026
A residence in Switzerland or the willingness to move to Switzerland
Reliability and the ability to work collaboratively in an international team
A self-starter with a can-do attitude and respectful attunement to research ethics and cultural diversity
Experience of policy-relevant research and public communication is desirable

A 1-year fixed-term position, which may be renewed for another year
A multifaceted and intellectually stimulating position at a world-class university, with a highly competitive salary and excellent working conditions
A fully research-oriented position with no formal teaching or administrative obligations, and no requirement to acquire external funding for research support

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

Curriculum Vitae, including the contact details of two referees
Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages) that outlines point-by-point how you meet the listed profile requirements
Two samples of your published written work (sole- or lead-authored) that build on qualitative research outputs
PhD transcript

The application deadline is 29.01.2026.

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about the project and the CSS can be found on our websites: Fires project and the Center for Security Studies.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Dr. Christine Eriksen via christine.eriksen@sipo.gess.ethz.ch (no applications).