R&D Life Cycle Assessment and Circularity in the built environment

at  Vito

The Energy Policy, Innovation & Circularity team (EPIC) in EnergyVille/VITO provides science and fact-based advice in four expertise areas: Energy and Climate Policy Evaluation, Building Assessment and Circularity, Policy Innovation in the Built Environment and Societal Aspects of the Energy Transition. The EPIC team is part of EnergyVille, a collaboration between the Belgian research partners VITO, KU Leuven, IMEC and UHasselt.
We are looking for a driven Life Cycle Assessment and Circularity expert to support our interdisciplinary team.
Within our experienced and motivated EPIC team, we conduct research in the field of life cycle assessment (LCA), circularity assessment and guidance, digital building passports, material and component flows and innovations within the built environment. The scale of each study can vary, from raw materials and building materials to the level of neighbourhoods and cities. We work for and with a variety of customers: companies and governments, both at local, regional, national and European level. But most important, we are a great team that has fun together! Does this sound good to you? Then you might just become our enthusiastic new colleague …

Some of your tasks:

• You will work as a researcher in consultancy assignments for policy makers and industry and in funded research projects (e.g. Horizon Europe).
• Your projects will have a focus on the evaluation of the sustainability of building elements, buildings, districts, and circular strategies within the built environment.
• You will contribute to a more sustainable built environment through innovation projects. Based on your research, new solutions can be developed, tested and brought to the market.
• Together with colleagues you will monitor the project progress within the project team, and you will align with the external partners involved. You also will share the results with our customer.
• You will ensure innovation in our field of expertise in terms of the further development of LCA and circularity methodologies, scenario analysis, digitization and data processing.
• You will contribute to the cooperation within national and European consortia and you will expand your network with Belgian and European authorities and industrial partners.
• You will share your knowledge, gain new knowledge and get the best out of yourself and your colleagues.
• Finally, you will contribute to the acquisition of projects and the writing of offers and project proposals.
• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field. A PhD and/or experience with scientific publishing are a plus.
• You have at least 2 years of demonstrable work experience in the field of LCA (preferably with knowledge of the Environmental Footprint method developed by the European Commission in this context) and/or circularity, experience in the construction environment is a plus.
• You have at least 2 years of demonstrable work experience in the acquisition and execution of national or international projects.
• Experience with structural engineering programs (e.g. REVIT, AutoCAD, Sketchup) are a beneficial.
• You preferably have experience with advanced LCA software programs (f.i. SimaPro, GaBi, OpenLCA) and with data processing.
• You are adept at communicating and writing clear, understandable reports in English.
• Knowledge of Dutch is of added value, but not required.

• You will work as a researcher in consultancy assignments for policy makers and industry and in funded research projects (e.g. Horizon Europe).
• Your projects will have a focus on the evaluation of the sustainability of building elements, buildings, districts, and circular strategies within the built environment.
• You will contribute to a more sustainable built environment through innovation projects. Based on your research, new solutions can be developed, tested and brought to the market.
• Together with colleagues you will monitor the project progress within the project team, and you will align with the external partners involved. You also will share the results with our customer.
• You will ensure innovation in our field of expertise in terms of the further development of LCA and circularity methodologies, scenario analysis, digitization and data processing.
• You will contribute to the cooperation within national and European consortia and you will expand your network with Belgian and European authorities and industrial partners.
• You will share your knowledge, gain new knowledge and get the best out of yourself and your colleagues.
• Finally, you will contribute to the acquisition of projects and the writing of offers and project proposals.
• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field. A PhD and/or experience with scientific publishing are a plus.
• You have at least 2 years of demonstrable work experience in the field of LCA (preferably with knowledge of the Environmental Footprint method developed by the European Commission in this context) and/or circularity, experience in the construction environment is a plus.
• You have at least 2 years of demonstrable work experience in the acquisition and execution of national or international projects.
• Experience with structural engineering programs (e.g. REVIT, AutoCAD, Sketchup) are a beneficial.
• You preferably have experience with advanced LCA software programs (f.i. SimaPro, GaBi, OpenLCA) and with data processing.
• You are adept at communicating and writing clear, understandable reports in English.
• Knowledge of Dutch is of added value, but not required