Geographisches Institut

Research Assistant Position: Zürich Accessible CiTy (ZüriACT)
50 %

For our new citizen science project, ZüriACT, we are hiring a research assistant (50%) on a one-year, fixed-term contract.
The project is related to the DIZH-funded research project «SISAL:Situation-Aware Individualized Spatial Accessibility Analytics» awarded to Dr. Hoda Allahbakhshi and will be a collaboration between the University of Zürich (Dr. Hoda Allahbakhshi, Digital Society Initiative, and Prof. Dr. Robert Weibel, Department of Geography, GIS Unit) and the Department of the Mayor (PRD/Präsidialdepartement), the Department of Health and Environment (GUD/Gesundheits- und Umweltdepartement), the Civil Engineering Office (TAZ/Tiefbauamt), the Traffic Section (DAV/Dienstabteilung Verkehr) and the Office of Geomatics + Surveying (GeoZ/Geomatik + Vermessung) of the City of Zürich.

About the project
In our participatory citizen science project, with the help of web-based digital tools that allow for virtual inspections and measurements of accessibility features, (curb, surface, crosswalk) we want to contribute to collecting and enriching accessibility information of the city of Zürich and investigate how accessible the city of Zürich is for persons with mobility impairments. Ultimately, we are interested in how the accessibility of important destinations for people with mobility impairments can be optimized and individualized by using detailed information about spatial accessibility.

Your responsibilities

Tasks related to the execution and analysis of the ZüriACT project will include, but are not limited to:

• participating in the design, planning, and implementation of data collection protocols, online questionnaires, and focus group discussions
• developing materials in German and English (flyers, data collection protocols, project description, participants' consent form, scientific reports, meeting minutes, etc.)
• contributing to participant recruitment and scheduling
• recruiting adults from various backgrounds (e.g., the community at large, university students) using several sources (social media, mailing, email, in-person, flyers)
• training and instructing the participants for data collection
• if needed, on-site data collection in District 1 of the city of Zürich
• doing research on data quality assessment and helping with verifying and analyzing the collected datasets
• if needed, applying AI and digital methods for image processing in order to extract accessibility features (width, smoothness, etc.)
• collaborating with researchers, public organizations, and other institutions

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and open-minded researcher with a passion for science and an independent, efficient, organized, and effective work style, with the following profile:

• A completed bachelor's degree in Geography, GIScience, Computer Science, Data Science or a related field.
• A strong background in qualitative study design and data analysis
• A strong background in quantitative data analysis, statistical analysis, computational modeling, and programming (e.g., JAVA, JavaScript, HTML, Python, SQL, R) is a plus.
• Experience in web app development is an asset.
• Knowledge of spatial data storage and databases.
• Excellent social skills. Ability to work with diverse groups of people and be helpful, respectful, approachable, and team-oriented.
• Previous experience in interdisciplinary or citizen science projects is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated high attention to detail. Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent written and spoken German AND English communication skills are mandatory. Knowledge of other Swiss national languages (Italian and French) is a plus.

What we offer

We offer varied and interesting work in an inspiring and socially relevant environment.
Diversity and inclusion are important to us.

• an excellent opportunity to gain experience in the inter-disciplinary field of digitalization
• a team of highly motivated colleagues who are passionate about research
• diverse and varied tasks that challenge and encourage you
• an attractive work environment: the University of Zürich is one of Switzerland's leading universities in the middle of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that regularly ranks as one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world

Place of work

Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland

Start of employment

April 15, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter