The International Space Science Institute (ISSI) is an Institute of advanced studies in the space sciences (Astrophysics, Heliophysics, Planetary Sciences and Earth Science), located in Bern, Switzerland.
ISSI invites applications for a full-time position of
Director
starting on January 1, 2026. The appointee will be a member of the Directorate of ISSI.
The internationally recognised scientific stature of the Directors ensures the visibility and the scientific excellence of the activities carried out at the Institute in their field of expertise. The current Directorate is composed of the Executive Director and three Directors who bring expertise in the scientific areas that ISSI covers, as described above. The Directors inspire and manage ISSI’s activities in their scientific field: breakthrough workshops, workshops, fora, international teams, working groups, and the Institute’s visiting scientist programme.
The new Director will bring an established international reputation in either Astrophysics, Heliophysics, Planetary Sciences, or Earth Science, and their scientific expertise will complement the current composition of the Directorate. They will be responsible for the formal and informal interactions with the large community of scientists (approximately 1000) visiting ISSI every year. A good knowledge of ISSI and of the Swiss academic environment as well as of ESA and the worldwide space science community will be an asset.
The appointment will be made through the University of Bern at the associate professor level for a period of four years (renewable), with corresponding research opportunities and teaching duties. Candidates from countries where habilitation is standard practice are expected to have completed the process. All other candidates are expected to have a substantial research record and teaching experience.
We explicitly encourage applications from female scientists, as the University of Bern is committed to increasing the proportion of women in senior academic roles. Note also that the University of Bern signed the DORA declaration and applies its principles to the recruiting process. Applications should contain
For inquiries about the position, interested scientists may contact the chair of the Search Committee: Prof. Willy Benz, Univ. of Bern Professor Emeritus, and President of ISSI’s Board of Trustees (willy.benz@unibe.ch).
Applications, in a single pdf file, should be uploaded through the online submission form below no later than July 31, 2025.
ISSI is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Scientists supported by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern have found that while Titan’s subsurface ocean could theoretically support microbial life through glycine fermentation, the availability and transport of organic material likely limit any potential biosphere to only a few kilograms of biomass.
Thirty years ago, the dream of a visionary scientist came true. A dream of a very special place where science was the focus, a welcoming international institute where the only language spoken was science, a centre of excellence uniting the scientific community under the same big sky that humanity has looked up to for centuries.
As ISSI welcomes four new Discipline Scientists in the coming months, we’re excited to introduce Rosita Kokotanekova, Martin Mlynczak, Marta Marcos, and Siyi Xu. These distinguished researchers bring expertise in planetary, atmospheric, oceanic, and exoplanetary sciences, furthering ISSI’s mission to foster international collaboration in and across the space sciences.
The International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland, invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the space sciences, including Astrophysics & Cosmology, Heliophysics and Plasma, and Planetary Sciences for a two-year period, ideally starting in January 2025, to be negotiated. The successful candidate should have received a Ph.D. within the last five year in the fields related to the space sciences of Astrophysics & Cosmology, Heliophysics and Plasma, and Planetary Sciences.
The current state of Venus is the result of the cumulative effects of many processes from the planet’s formation, and its magma ocean phase up to present-day. Venus’s interior thermal evolution, volcanic, tectonic and outgassing history, as well as interaction with the atmosphere have left clues to piece back together what made Earth and Venus evolve differently. Therefore, due to its position at the inner edge of the Solar System habitable zone (HZ), Venus evolution through time provides insights on surface habitability of rocky exoplanets.
The International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland, invites applications for a Discipline Scientist in the areas of
1) Exoplanet Sciences
2) Planetary Science and
3) Climate Science
