ETH Space: Finance & Controlling and Office Support

Please apply until 31 October 2026.

Project background

ETH Space mission is to boost space activities to establish ETH Zurich as the leading university in space research and Earth observation, education and entrepreneurship within Europe and beyond. ETH Space encompasses overall five units: Education, Research, Entrepreneurship, the ETH Swiss GeoLab, and the space mission, LIFE.

ETH Space is led by Prof. Thomas Zurbuchen as its director, and Prof. Richard Kornfeld, as managing director. The team overall consists of about 35 employees. The office is located in Zurich downtown, in one of the central ETH buildings.

The team and finances of ETH Space have grown significantly in recent years, and as ETH Space is transitioning to become an ETH Center, we are looking to add a person for Finance & Controlling and Office Support.

This position is offered as a fixed-term appointment for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of extension. The desired starting date is as soon as possible.

For details see Home - ETH Zurich | Space as well as our LinkedIn channel.

Job description

In this multifaceted role, you will take responsibility for Finance & Internal Controlling as well as support the Office Management of ETH Space, playing a key role in ensuring the efficient and smooth operation of the organizational unit. You will ensure the proper execution of financial and administrative processes, support the leadership team with organizational and operational matters, and act as the central point of contact between internal and external stakeholders - for finance and controlling matters. You will support transparent workflows, reliable administration, and professional support for the ETH Space unit.

Your areas of responsibility include, in particular:

Finance & Controlling:

• Budget calculations (annual budget and bi-annual rolling forecasts)
• Project finances: from budgeting and expenditure to financial reports
• Procurement of goods and services involving complex ordering structures, including quote comparisons, export control compliance, procurement regulations, tenders, and contract awards
• Accounting & ETH Space internal controlling
• Invoice verification and payment
• Processing employee expense claims
• Credit card statement reconciliation
• Performance-based project billing (via SAP)
• Handling all ETH Zurich internal finance-related inquiries

Office Management Support:

• Administrative support for ETH Space management
• Preparation of documents and reports
• Tracking tasks and projects
• Handling sensitive information confidentially
• Support office management in managing daily office operations
• Provide recruitment support (job postings, application coordination)
• Support new employee onboarding

This position offers a varied and responsible role with a broad spectrum of tasks at the intersection of finance/controlling and office management for ETH Space. You will play a key role in ensuring professional administration, transparent financial processes, and smooth organizational operations within our organization. In doing so, you will work closely with management, staff, and internal and external contacts, contributing significantly to the success of ETH Space.

Profile

• Education: you completed commercial or administrative vocational training; further training in accounting or controlling, and project or office management is an asset
• Experience: you have a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience. Experience in an academic or research setting is an advantage (incl. prior work at ETH Zurich)
• Technical Skills:
  
  • Experience with SAP and proficiency with these systems
  • Advanced user skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and scheduling tools
  • Very good written and spoken German and English (French an advantage)
• Competencies & Personality
  • Structured, analytical, flair for numbers and attention to detail
  • Independent approach and strong organizational skills
  • Proactive and reliable personality
  • Solution-oriented and service-oriented working style
  • Enjoy working with complex project structures
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build bridges across teams

In addition, we are looking for someone who possesses the motivation and drive to define and implement work processes within the ETH Space leadership team.

We offer

• The great and rare opportunity to help shape the operations and finances of a soon-to-become strategic center of ETH Zurich: ETH Space 
• A dynamic, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial environment at one of the world’s leading technical universities 
• A workplace in Zurich downtown.

Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich

We value diversity and sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So are we.

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

• Your CV 
• Diplomas and work certificates
• A short motivation statement outlining your interest in ETH Space and this position
• A video (max 2 mins) about you and your motivation for this position.

Regarding the video: we would like to get to know you! We therefore ask you to provide a short video. We do not expect a professional production; simply using your smartphone and being yourself is sufficient. Please upload the video to a platform of your choice (Dropbox, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc.) and include the link in your letter of motivation.

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through the ETH Zurich online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about ETH Space can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr Nanja Strecker, at nanja.strecker@space.ethz.ch (no applications).

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

For recruitment services the GTC of ETH Zurich apply.

We look forward to receiving your application!

About ETH Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in
science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,
cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge
into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our
university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an
environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,
yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to
develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.