Postdoc in Life cycle assessment for the bioeconomy

At the Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Planning Aalborg, a position as Postdoc in Life cycle assessment for the bioeconomy is open for appointment from September 1, 2023 or soon hereafter. The position is available for a period of two years.

At Department of Planning, we have about 200 employees situated at the Aalborg and Copenhagen campus. The department provides high-quality research and teaching in the field of planning, technology and society in order to create a more sustainable future. We are interdisciplinary in the technical, natural and social science disciplines and present a unique combination of social and technological understanding where digital and technological solutions merge with the needs of society.

Our research creates the foundation for educating the future workforce, and as part of Aalborg University, the department rests on a socially engaging and problem-oriented approach. It is also at Department of Planning that the UNESCO Center for Problem-Based Learning is at home. That helps ensure, we create educations aimed at the job market and a society with increasing focus on technology, digitization, sustainability and partnerships for a sustainable transition.

The position is financed by different research projects on the development of new technologies to strengthen the bioeconomy, and the development of new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods for the evaluation of the sustainability and circularity of emerging biobased technologies and systems. The research activities will be carried out in close cooperation with the LCA scientists of the Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) group, as well as in collaboration with other international research partners.

The overall objective is to assess – in a life cycle perspective – the consequences of valorizing biomass in integrated value chains, from primary production to processing into innovative products and services. The main challenge in this assessment is answering prospective questions regarding the availability of biomass in the future and regarding the environmental performance of the proposed emerging technologies when scaled up and integrated into an industrial setting. This analysis requires the combined application of qualitative and quantitative approaches to identify and describe future technological and resource availability scenarios, to understand and quantify the impacts of new technologies, and to work extensively with uncertainty analysis. The successful applicant will work in this are performing assessment of concrete cases, and contributing to the development of new assessment models and tools.

The postdoc will have following tasks, in cooperation with the LCA researchers in the group:

• Perform prospective life cycle assessment of emerging technologies in the bioeconomy domain
• Focus explicitly on quantitative approaches for consequential modelling and uncertainty analysis
• Produce high-level scientific publications on these topics
• Collaborate with other researchers in international consortiums (travel to attend meetings in EU is expected)
• Optionally: participate in the preparation of research applications, participate in teaching activities, as well as take formal training in teaching.

The successfull candidate has:

• PhD degree in sustainability science, environmental engineering, environmental management, or related field.
• Strong LCA background or strong data science skills combined with general LCA skills. Experience with consequential LCA is an advantage
• Experience with assessment of new technologies is an advantage, as well as previous experience working in the bioeconomy domain (both blue and green).
• Skills in programming are a requirement (python / R)
• Excellent scientific communication & scientific writing skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team, and a drive to create own novel research direction

DCEA is an interdisciplinary and gender-balanced research group working with environmental assessment, its researchers have a variety of backgrounds ranging from environmental science and engineering to economics and sociology, and are skilled in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, from modelling and data analysis to stakeholder involvement and surveying. We value a good working environment and career development.

You may obtain further professional information from Associate professor Søren Løkke by mail [email protected] or phone (45) 9940 8296.

Qualification requirements: 

Appointment as Postdoc presupposes scientific qualifications at PhD–level or similar scientific qualifications. The research potential of each applicant will be emphasized in the overall assessment. Appointment as a Postdoc cannot exceed a period of four years in total at Aalborg University.

The application must contain the following:

• A motivated text wherein the reasons for applying, qualifications in relation to the position, and intentions and visions for the position are stated.
• A current curriculum vitae.
• Copies of relevant diplomas (Master of Science and PhD). On request you could be asked for an official English translation.
• Scientific qualifications. A complete list of publications must be attached with an indication of the works the applicant wishes to be considered. You may attach up to 5 publications.
• Dissemination qualifications, including participation on committees or boards, participation in organisations and the like.
• Additional qualifications in relation to the position. References/recommendations.
• Personal data.

The applications are only to be submitted online by using the "Apply online" button below.

Shortlisting will be applied. After the review of any objections regarding the assessment committee, the head of department, with assistance from the chair of the assessment committee, selects the candidates to be assessed. All applicants will be informed as to whether they will advance to assessment or not.

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

For further information concerning the application procedure please contact Søren K. Klausen by mail [email protected] or phone (+45) 9940 3939. Information regarding guidelines, ministerial circular in force and procedures can be seen here  

Aalborg University provides outstanding research and education. For the third year in a row we have placed Europe's best and the world's fourth best engineering university on the list of "Best Global Universities" published by the U.S. News & World Report. Our research and educations are multidisciplinary and build on close collaborations with business and industry. This also comes from our world-renowned PBL teaching model, which is based on solving the problems of reality. These collaborations and our acknowledged research contribute new insights, new solutions to societal matters and knowledge that are changing the world. More than 20,000 students are enrolled at Aalborg University, of which over 10% are international students from various countries worldwide. To support them, we have 3500 employees, divided between Aalborg University's main campus in Aalborg and our departments in Copenhagen and Esbjerg.

Employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministry of Finance's current Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities. Employment and salary are in accordance with the collective agreement for state-employed academics.   

2023-224-05216

16/04/2023