At the Professorship of Solid Mechanics (SMEC) in the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich, we aim to understand how materials deform, degrade, break, and ultimately fail. Our research is driven by curiosity about the physical mechanisms that underlie failure and by the ambition to translate this understanding into more reliable and resilient materials and structures. By combining numerical modeling, laboratory experiments, and theoretical analyses, we seek to link microscopic processes with the macroscopic behavior of both engineering and natural systems and develop predictive tools for mechanical failure.

Our team is highly interdisciplinary and international, bringing together researchers with backgrounds in materials science, mechanics, and applied physics. We work across a broad range of topics, including the mechanics of particle systems (colloidal and granular), architected and topologically interlocked materials, the mechanics of fragility in collagen, the mechanics of earthquakes, fracture of soft materials, and modeling failure in multiphysical processes such as corrosion-driven degradation of concrete. What unites these efforts is a shared curiosity about why complex materials fail and a commitment to developing new concepts, experiments, and models that advance our understanding of failure mechanics.

To expand our research in experimental fracture mechanics, we are seeking a motivated and innovative Postdoctoral Researcher with a strong experimental background. The successful candidate will develop quantitative experiments and imaging-based methods to characterize complex fracture behavior. Possible research directions include, but are not limited to, fracture of soft materials and architected materials, as well as dynamic crack propagation.

Job description

Profile

• You will join our newly established fracture mechanics imaging and characterization lab, a dynamic, international, and supportive research group that values curiosity, creativity, and collaboration
• The laboratory is equipped with 3D-printing facilities, mechanical testing systems, and advanced imaging equipment, enabling the preparation, mechanical testing, and quantitative imaging characterization of soft materials
• ETH Zurich provides an outstanding scientific environment and access to additional facilities for optical and high-speed imaging, material preparation, and scientific computing
• The position offers substantial freedom to develop independent research directions while collaborating closely with experimental, theoretical, and computational researchers
• Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
• We are actively committed to a sustainable and climate-neutral university
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits

Curious? So are we.