DOCTORAL POSITION (R1) – CIRCULAR ECONOMY IMPLEMENTATION FOR SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN...

A circular economy (CE) deployment, where resources are reused for the longest possible time in closed-loop systems running on renewable energy sources, represents an instrumental strategy to decouple resource consumption and environmental impacts from socio-economic growth.
Accordingly, governments worldwide are actively encouraging the deployment of a CE as an instrumental mechanism to foster resource productivity, achieve climate change mitigation targets and enhance overall system sustainability, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
However, the practical adoption of CE principles for sustainable resource management by organisations is still limited and this is particularly noticeable in the service sector, where case studies demonstrating how CE frameworks can drive innovation within large service-oriented organisations are scarce.
Although the service sector is not energy and material intensive compared to industry, it does not mean that service organizations do not contribute to resource consumption and environmental impacts. Services account for over 70% of the GDP of the European Union (EU) and 80% of the GDP in the US. Accordingly, the scale of the resource consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by large service organizations is significant, considering that energy and materials are required to provide services.
Universities represent an example of large service organizations that are major drivers of economic growth and social wellbeing through knowledge creation (research), knowledge transfer (teaching) and community development (outreach activities) but also significant consumers of resources and sources of waste generation and environmental impacts through campus activities. However, little attention has been given to the analysis of the potential benefits and trade-offs derived from the implementation of CE innovations for the sustainable resource management of campus operations.
The main goal of this PhD thesis is to develop an action-based methodology to determine the life cycle sustainability performance of CE innovations for resource management in service organizations, considering universities as a baseline case study. CE innovations will be oriented to optimize resource use and close material loops. The specific objectives of this research project include: i) define a criteria-based evaluation system for the categorization and analysis of the scope of available methods, tools and indicators aligned with the EU CE action plans, the life cycle assessment framework (ISO 14040), the environmental certification standards (ISO 14001) and the sustainability reporting mechanisms; ii) develop an integrated CE and sustainability assessment framework, including monitoring indicators and data gathering systems, with application in service organizations, and iii) validate the integrated framework by analysing a number of pilot case studies. Requirements
• Education level: Applicants must hold a Master Degree in one of the following disciplines: Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Technologies, Industrial Ecology, Circular Economy, Sustainable Development, or similar.
• Skills and experience (essential or desirable):
o Knowledge in circularity and sustainability assessment methodologies and indicators (essential)
o Knowledge and experience in the use of LCA software (essential)
o Experience in sustainability reporting (desirable)
o You have interest in scientific research in order to obtain a PhD degree.
o You can operate both independently and in a multidisciplinary team.
o You have organisational skills and are highly motivated.
o You have excellent work ethics
o You have good communication skills
o Required languages: English – advance level – written and spoken
• Selection will be based on competences according to the PhD offer goal, scope and requirements.

Position details
• Researcher profile: First Stage Researcher (R1).
• Research field: Sustainability, Circular Economy, Environmental Technologies, Life Cycle Assessment, Quantitative Assessment Tools, Circularity and Sustainability Indicators, Innovation.
• Type of contract: 3 years
• Job status: Full time
• Hours per week: 40
• Application Deadline: 17-09-2021 (CET, GMT+01:00)
• Starting date: Mid-September/early-October 2021.
• Is the job funded through a EU Research Framework Programme? (No)
o Programme: -
o Reference number: -

Hiring Organisation & Offer Posting Contact Details
• Organization: Mondragon Unibertsitatea. Faculty of Engineering.
• Research group: Circular Economy and Industrial Sustainability
• Organisation type: Higher Education Institute
• Location: 20500, Arrasate-Mondragon, Gipuzkoa, SPAIN
• Contact email: [email protected] ; [email protected]
• Phone: +34943794700

How to apply
1) Send an email to Prof. Daniel Justel ([email protected] ) and Dr. Joan Manuel F. Mendoza ([email protected] ) before September 17, 2021 with subject "CEILSO – application" and include the following documents:
a. Complete CV
b. Motivation letter in a file with name ‘Motivation letter surname
c. Contact details
2) Fill up the application forms in the online job application platforms.
3) For more information, please contact Daniel Justel and/or Joan Manuel F. Mendoza