EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,000 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 16,000 people, including over 12,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

DATA ARCHITECT FOR THE BIG-MAP DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Your mission :

A position for a data architect/software scientist is available at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland) in the group of Prof. Nicola Marzari. The position is supported by the new H2020 project BIG-MAP (Battery Interface Genome – Materials Accelerated Platform, part of the Battery 2030+ initiative). The position is renewable yearly and funded for up to 3 years; it can also be extended to a fourth year upon availability of funding.Outstanding candidates are sought with strong programming abilities, preferably with a background in physics/chemistry/materials or engineering/computer science. Candidates should be comfortable with project management and a diverse collaboration environment with teams across Europe.The position will contribute to the development of the data and simulation infrastructure of BIG-MAP, and to the capabilities for automated simulations and data analytics. Core objectives will be automated data archiving (through the Materials Cloud ARCHIVE) and integration and dissemination of these data capabilities with simulation capabilities (through AiiDAlab, deployed on local workstations, Materials Cloud WORK, Kubernetes clusters, European Open Science Cloud, and commercial providers such as AWS or Azure). The position will be embedded in the AiiDA and Materials Cloud teams.Natural synergies will be present with the Swiss National Centre MARVEL on Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials, the H2020 MaX Centre of Excellence on Materials Design at the eXascale, and the OPTIMADE consortium. Close collaborations with other efforts from the European Commission, such as the Materials Modelling Marketplace, Intersect, DOME 4.0, NFFA, NEP and OpenModel can be envisioned, as well as synergies with some of our industrial partners.Your profile :

Requirements:

• A PhD in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry, or materials), engineering, or computer science. Alternatively, a MSc with a tangible and proven track record in these domains


• Strong programming skills (Python a plus)


• Knowledge of front-end web technologies (JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, jQuery,Bootstrap)


• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to work independently managing complex projects involving multiple partners from academia and industry in a highly collaborative environment

Other desirable skills:

• Knowledge of RESTful services


• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Dokku and Ansible


• Experience with at least one front-end JS/TS framework or library (e.g. AngularJS,


• React)


• Experience with database systems and technologies (SQL/NoSQL)


• Familiarity with state-of-the-art software development methods: version control, testing, continuous integration (ideally in a collaborative environment)


• Experience with AiiDA/AiiDAlab

We offer :

The successful candidates will join the group of Nicola Marzari (Theory and Simulation of Materials) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), located in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva and in close proximity to the Swiss and French Alps. This multidisciplinary group is at the forefront in the development and application of materials simulations, and leads the pan-Swiss materials consortium MARVEL, a 12-year federal initiative created in 2014 whose aim is to accelerate materials’ design and discovery. Outstanding computing facilities are available on-site and at CSCS.



Start date :

For best consideration, applications should be submitted by June 15 2021; the position will remain open until filled. 



Term of employment :

Fixed-term (CDD)Work rate :

100%Duration :

The contract is renewable every year (as required by EPFL) up to a maximum of 4 years, upon mutual satisfaction. Gross salaries for a freshly minted Ph.D. start at 83’600 CHF/year (~76’500 EUR/year); social benefits (unemployment, pension) are also provided.



Contact :

Candidates should submit 1) a full CV (ideally including BA/MSc transcripts), 2) contact information for two to four references and 3) a cover letter of intent. These documents should be emailed simultaneously to nicola.marzari@epfl.ch and valeria.granata@epfl.ch as a single email with one PDF attachment, with the exact text “BIG-MAP data architect/software scientist” in the subject line. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted individually for initial interviews, first via video conferencing.