Student Assistant – Extract and validate 'Bills of Material' for medicine manufacturing

20%-30%, Zurich, fixed-term

Our research team at KOF, ETH Zurich is seeking a student assistant to contribute to the project "Computing Resilience Indicators for Pharmaceutical Supply Chains."  This project aims to develop data-driven tools to assess supply chain vulnerabilities for critical medicines, using pharmaceutical Bills of Materials (BOMs), trade flows, and production data. The work is part of a broader effort to inform resilient market design and improve policy decision-making.

Project background

This position focuses on extracting and validating BOMs (Bills of Material) for medicines using patent documents and public databases, and linking them to global supply chain data. It is ideally suited for a student with a background in industrial chemistry or pharmaceutical sciences, and an interest in applying data science to real-world policy questions.

Job description

  • Extracting and curating pharmaceutical BOMs from patents and public sources.
  • Interpreting chemical and manufacturing information and validating component lists.
  • Matching BOMs with manufacturer and trade data from the Pharmaceutical Supply Atlas.
  • Writing Python scripts for data extraction and preprocessing.
  • Collaborating the lead researcher team.

Profile

  • Enrolled at ETH Zurich or the University of Zurich in chemistry, pharmacy, chemical engineering, biotechnology, or related fields.
  • Basic understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes (APIs, excipients, intermediates).
  • Intermediate coding skills in Python.
  • Interest in data-driven research with policy impact.

Workplace

Workplace




We offer

  • Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
  • We are actively committed to a sustainable and climate-neutral university
  • You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits
Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich

We value diversity

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.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application before Friday, June 6 2025 with the following documents:

  • CV
  • Letter of Motivation

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

Further information about our research project can be found here. For further information, please contact Dr. Giona Casiraghi at gcasiraghi@ethz.ch (no applications).

For recruitment services the GTC of ETH Zurich apply.

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.