"Senior life cycle assessment (LCA) researcher and project manager"

Job Summary: We are seeking an experienced LCA researcher to support clients in the agricultural and food sector with sustainability measurement and LCA. The role involves leading projects to measure environmental impacts and design pathways to reduce them, working in the Sustainable Value Chains group at Wageningen Social & Economic Research.

Responsibilities:

• Developing, improving, and harmonising LCA methods, databases, and tools to measure environmental impacts and provide recommendations for sustainability improvements.
• Leading and working in project teams of varying sizes and complexity, including collaborations with researchers from different organizations and international consortia.
• Maintaining regular contact with clients, proactively managing relationships to ensure recommendations are relevant, actionable, and evidence-based for private and public sector parties as well as NGOs.
• Leading the acquisition of new applied research projects based on an active network in agricultural development and sustainable value chains.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• A Master’s degree with a strong emphasis on measuring sustainability using LCA (e.g., industrial ecology, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, sustainable energy); a PhD is preferred.
• 6+ years of research experience, with at least 3 years in project management.
• Extensive knowledge of LCA methods (e.g., PEF), life cycle inventory databases (e.g., ecoinvent, agri-footprint), emission models (e.g., IPCC, EMEP/EEA), and tools (e.g., SimaPro).
• Experience in programming languages (e.g., Python) is a strong plus.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and preferably Dutch, including presenting and publishing research results.
• Knowledge of the agri-food sector and LCA-based ecorating labels (e.g., Ecoscore) is a plus.

What the Employer Offers:

• Working hours that allow for work-life balance, sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave.
• Strong focus on vitality, access to sports facilities, a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%, and an excellent pension scheme.
• A competitive gross salary between €4,045 and €7,068 per month for a full-time week of 36 hours, based on experience.
• Initially a one-year contract that can be extended, with opportunities for growth and development.