Academic Associate UAS Mechanochemical Process Development – HEIA-FR, Switzerland

Summary

The Higher School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR) in Switzerland seeks an Academic Associate for a mechanochemical process‑development project. The 18‑month fixed‑term position (80‑100% activity) involves leading synthetic and process‑development work, designing experiments with Dyno®‑mill bead reactors, characterising products, and scaling up to pilot plant with industrial partners. The role requires a master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering, experience in organic synthesis, strong interdisciplinary research interest, and excellent English communication. The candidate will collaborate with a consortium including WAB, FHWN, and Syngenta, and will present results at conferences while ensuring lab safety. Application deadline is 30 November 2026.

Key Facts

Position Type	Fixed-term contract
Discipline	Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
Research Area	Mechanochemical Process Development
Degree Required	Master's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering
Experience	Experience in organic synthesis
Funding	Fixed-term employment contract (salary)
Contract Duration	18 months
Language	English (required), French/German (basic optional)
Deadline	2026-11-30
Required Documents	cover letter, CV, copies of diplomas, work certificates
Employer Address	Arsenals 16A 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Employer Contact	Ludovic Gremaud, Full Professor UAS, Tel: +41 26 429 68 06

About the Project

The project is a joint effort between HEIA‑FR, WAB, FHWN, and Syngenta to develop a new bead‑reactor technology based on Dyno®‑mill systems for solvent‑free, sustainable chemical manufacturing. The aim is to establish advanced metrics, generate datasets for predictive scale‑up models, and create a reproducible workflow that transfers laboratory mechanochemical transformations to industrial scale for fine‑chemical production.

Key Responsibilities

• Benchmark representative mechanochemical transformations and industrially relevant targets
• Run design‑of‑experiments campaigns on Dyno®‑mill technology
• Characterise products and map process parameters to critical quality attributes
• Contribute to predictive modelling and identify scale‑invariant parameters
• Scale up to pilot plant with industrial partner, verifying robustness
• Consolidate results in a standardised scale‑transfer workflow and guidelines
• Interact with consortium, present at conferences, uphold lab safety

Required Skills

• Strong interest in interdisciplinary research involving synthesis, process development, and chemical engineering
• Ability to conduct cutting‑edge R&D with initiative and creativity
• Rigorous, autonomous, well‑organized experimental work with careful data documentation
• Enthusiasm, resourcefulness, teamwork, and problem‑solving mindset
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills

Who Should Apply

Candidates holding a master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering, with experience in organic synthesis, who are motivated to work on interdisciplinary mechanochemical research, possess strong problem‑solving skills, can work autonomously and in teams, and have excellent English communication (basic French or German is a plus).

About the Employer

HEIA‑FR is the Higher School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, a member of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (HES‑SO). It offers bilingual BSc and MSc programmes and hosts research collaborations with industry partners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application deadline?

30 November 2026.

What is the length of the contract?

18 months, fixed‑term.

Where is the work location?

Arsenals 16A, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.

Who should be contacted for more information?

Ludovic Gremaud, Full Professor UAS, Tel +41 26 429 68 06.

Which documents must be submitted?

Cover letter, CV, copies of diplomas and work certificates.