PostDoc Position Sustainable Soil Organic Matter Management

Agroscope is looking for a:

PostDoc Position Sustainable Soil Organic Matter Management

The 'Soil Quality and Soil Use' Research Group deals with the influence of agricultural management on soil quality. Soil structure, its role in the soil system and its functionality are an important focus. The development of soil-quality indicators and their use in long-term soil monitoring is a further priority.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is crucial for soil health and the productivity of agroecosystems. With humusbilanz.ch, Agroscope supports farmers in SOM management by providing input/output balances. We are now updating the tool to integrate modern models and more data. The aim is to provide farmers with a comprehensive tool to make informed decisions about soil management and the long-term conservation of SOM for sustainable production.

About us

Agriculture uses natural resources and claims ecosystem services, which affects the environment. The 'Agroecology and Environment' Research Division records and models these influences and describes the need for mitigating action. Life cycle analyses and sustainability evaluations enable the assessment of options for the future orientation of the agricultural sector.

Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers carry out their work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux FR), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.

Description

-Evaluation of existing SOM and nutrient management tools; assessment of the underlying models

-Analysing the accessibility of management and soil data for possible integration into a tool

-Validation of the suitability of the most promising models, using available long-term datasets

-Development of a novel tool tailored to Swiss conditions and cropping systems

Requirements

-Completed PhD in Soil Science, Environmental Sciences, Agronomy, Ecology or a related research field

-In-depth knowledge of data science, including data management, coding and advanced analysis

-Knowledge and experience in soil process modelling and in-depth understanding of cropping systems desirable

-Strong communication skills and a team-oriented, committed personality

-Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and a very good command of written and spoken English

We offer

We offer you a varied job in an interesting work environment as well as thorough training and a modern research infrastructure. Flexible working hours and good employee benefits are additional perks of the job.

In your application, please refer to myScience and reference JobID 63465.