Senior researcher
We are looking for a life cycle assessment (LCA) expert (US Citizen) to join our team in evaluating
materials and engineered systems using life cycle system science. The position will collaborate with NIST
researchers and NIST’s external collaborators in a variety of topics relevant to their work including
economists, engineers, and scientists – connecting LCA to fundamental research, life-cycle analysis, and
decision support tools related to activities across a range of research topic areas: building and
infrastructure, energy, circular economy, resilience, and decision science. Initial activities will include
developing and updating of LCA models for a variety of construction materials and building systems,
semiconductors, microelectronics, and emerging technology recovery pathways, and engineered direct
air capture technologies that will be published and maintained in repositories on the Federal LCA
Commons.
Life Cycle System Science of Materials and Engineered Systems
- US Citizen
- PhD in Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field
- At least 10 years of experience in life cycle assessment research
- Experience with life cycle assessment of at least five of the following topics: chemicals,
plastics, photovoltaics, batteries, carbon dioxide removal, semiconductors,
microelectronics, concrete, other building materials, or whole buildings - Extensive experience with OpenLCA and its developer tools, and public life cycle inventory
(LCI) databases, including the Federal LCA Commons repositories and GREET suite of tools - Experience developing and updating large LCI datasets
- Experience in solving complex LCA-related problems (i.e., long supply chains and production
processes, and evaluation of multiple impact indicators and methods - Excellent writing and communication skills
- Self-driven and capable of working independently with minimal supervision
Key responsibilities could include, but are not limited to, leading the following activities:
- Review, assessment, and improvements to NIST’s existing LCA data models and decision support
tools - Identify, quantify, and prioritize data gaps in product categories of interest to NIST
- Maintain and expand the Construction Materials and Building Systems repositories on the Federal
LCA Commons - Automate LCA model development workflow for transparency, repeatability, and efficiency
- Review, validation, and analysis of dynamic operational electricity LCA data
- Identify research and data gaps in current LCA-related activities at NIST
- Write research slide decks, reports, and/or journal articles
- Draft NIST research plan for increasing standardization and harmonization in LCA modeling
- Participate in ACLCA committees and sub-committees and LCA-relevant NIST consortia as
appropriate