Post-doctoral researcher

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

The Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN) group at Ghent University welcomes a candidate for a full-time junior postdoctoral position on the environmental sustainability of demand-side measures in the energy system and the demand for materials for the twin transition. The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in the EU project RAWCLIC (Future RAW materials demand, supply and sustainability in the face of CLImate Change) and take the lead in the Flemish funded project DEER (Demand-side measures to Enhance well-being and foster Environmental footprint Reduction). A collaboration between research organizations, policy makers, SMEs, universities and associations is needed in this context.

The Horizon Europe funded project called RAWCLIC is developed in the context of the twin transition (energy and digitization). This transition implies an increased raw material demand in the short-, mid-, and long term. To meet this future material demand for the twin transition, the EU relies on a stable supply of raw materials, which has not been self-evident given the recent energy and COVID crises. The main goal of the RAWCLIC project is therefore to develop knowledge on the future raw material demand, supply and associated environmental impacts induced by the twin transition in the EU and to support fact-based industry- and policy-decision making enabling this transition. For this, the RAWCLIC project consists of a consortium of excellent universities (f.e. University Leiden, University Leoben), research institutes (BRGM, VITO, EMPA, ..) and companies (ENGIE, Ericsson, VERKOR, …). A close collaboration with the JRC of the European Commission is foreseen. As a postdoctoral researcher in the STEN research group, you will focus on leading the work package related to the material demand for the energy and the digitization transition. You will also contribute with a leading role to harmonizing the used narratives in the project and with a supporting role to a mapping of secondary raw materials in the urban mine. Lastly, you will be involved in the supervision of the PhD student working on the estimation of the raw material demand for the twin transition and the general management of the RAWCLIC project at a work package leader level.

The FWO funded project called DEER is framed within the transition to a low-carbon circular economy, which requires drastic carbon and material footprint reductions. The main strategies for these transitions have been focusing on the supply-side of the economy, for example stimulating technology development, technology improvements and efficiency gains. Demand-side measures focus on the consumption process of specific products by reducing, shifting or improving consumption. Thus far, these demand-side measures remain largely overlooked. However, according to the latest IPCC report, these demand-side measures have a very high potential to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (40-70% in the field of housing, land transport and food).

The DEER project, consisting of four academic research partners, will assess the impacts of specific demand-side measures in the field of thermal comfort and transport. For this, a specific carbon and material footprint target will be defined for these two systems to enable an absolute environmental sustainability assessment. These targets will be based on downscaled global or regional carbon and material footprint targets. The DEER project partners will quantify a minimal level of need fulfilment for these two systems, leading towards the definition of sustainable consumption corridors. Subsequently, the costs and consumer acceptance of these measures will be studied by other partners of the DEER project consortium. The DEER project will result in specific policy recommendations on how to implement the demand-side measures in the field of thermal comfort and transport with the highest impact and the lowest cost, both from an economic as well as from a consumer behavioral point of view. As a postdoctoral researcher in the DEER project, you will be responsible for coordinating the project, organizing project meetings and coordinating the communication towards the policy actors involved (Vlaanderen Circulair, Departements of the Flemish Government, …) . You will also be leading to the work package on the carbon and material footprint assessment of the demand-side measures, where you will contribute to the supervision of the PhD student working on the DEER project in the STEN group. 

Overall, the applicant's required skills should cover the analysis of material flows, life cycle assessment (input-output assessment is a plus), and a major interest in the development of new conceptual approaches such as forecasting prospective material and technology demands for the twin transition. Management and strong communication skills are also required as well as a willingness to reach out to different actors in the research field (research institutes, companies, governmental agencies, …). In this postdoc position, you will work in close collaboration with other STEN colleagues and (inter)national partners from the two consortia.

The proposed starting date is 1st of November 2024. The duration of the contract is for 1 years. Prolongation with 1 year is possible after a positive evaluation, as sustainability research on the twin transition and carbon and material footprints are important cornerstones of STEN's activities. 

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Candidates are expected to have an engineering background and/or affinity with sustainability and circularity analysis methods, such as life cycle assessment and material flow analysis. Understanding of or having affinity with demand-side measures, raw material demands and prospective scenario analysis is relevant as well. We are looking for candidates with a critical and analytical attitude and a sense of initiative. 
Other profile requirements:
-    You hold a PhD in environmental engineering, bioscience engineering, industrial ecology, chemical engineering, environmental science, environmental technology or equivalent.
-    The degree requirements must be met at the start of the appointment;
-    You have an interest in scientific research;
-    You can operate both independently and in a multidisciplinary team;
-    You have organisational/managerial skills and are highly motivated;
-    You have good writing and presentation skills;
-    You master the English language, written and orally, in an academic context; Dutch is an asset. 
-    Having experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research is essential;
-    Knowledge on sustainable consumption  is an asset;
-    You have experience with LCA software such as openLCA, Gabi, SimaPro, etc. and LCA databases (e.g. ecoinvent). 

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

-    We offer you a contract of definite duration for the period from 1/11/2024-31/10/2025 (with a potential extension to 31/10/2026)
-    Your contract will start on 1/11/2024 at the earliest.
-    Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale WM1 to WM4 (if you hold a Master’s degree) or salary scale PD1 to PD4 (if you hold a doctorate).  Click here for more information about our salary scales.
-    All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

-    In the field ‘CV’: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
-    In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
-    In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
-    In the field “other documents”: contact details of two reference persons

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Jo Dewulf (jo.dewulf@UGent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.
 

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be or +32 9 264 34 36