DC-26114 ENGINEER ON SUSTAINABILITY OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES

Fixed term contract | Belvaux | 18 Months

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

How will you contribute?

You will be part of the Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity (SUSTAIN) Unit of LIST, which conducts cross‑disciplinary research to support the transition toward a more sustainable, resilient, and healthy society.

SUSTAIN combines expertise in environmental sciences, circular economy, risk and safety assessment, and sustainable innovation to address complex challenges related to human and environmental health, climate change, and resource efficiency, developing knowledge, methods, and transferable software for the simulation and comprehensive sustainability assessment of socio-economic systems. Its purpose is to foster sustainable eco-innovation, through products and technologies, as well as support sustainability-oriented policy implementation and behavioural change to promote decarbonisation transitions.

Within the SUSTAIN Unit, you will join the Industrial Ecology (IE) research group. The group consists of 15 people with a broad range of expertise and diverse cultural backgrounds, and united by the common purpose of supporting the sustainability transition. The IE Group conducts research at the intersection between life cycle assessment (LCA), other quantitative industrial ecology approaches (material flow analysis, input output analysis, etc.), and data-driven methods (optimisation, generative AI, agent-based modelling, machine learning). Our work provides decision support for policy makers, industry stakeholders, and researchers by delivering actionable insights into resource use efficiency, circularity, and environmental impacts across scales—from products and cities to global supply chains. By joining us you will contribute to this exciting endeavour.

You will work on LCA and waste heat optimisation problems in European and national projects, being responsible for the LCA calculations and optimisation methods & algorithm.

You will contribute to the refinement of the ValueHeat platform, that developed a prototype of an efficient model and software to optimise the valorisation of industrial waste heat to produce electricity.

You will identify key thermal, economic and environmental parameters of the considered thermal processes, improve the existing heat cascade models and convert these upgrades into an optimization algorithm formulated in Python.

In the TransZeroWaste project, you will work on the integration of environmental performances (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Circularity Indicators (CIs) for steel production. You will collect inventory data from industrial partners developing and testing green steel production technologies, and will model the associated impacts based on LCA methodology.

In the Fuel Up project, you will work on the Consequential LCAs of biogenic waste/feedstock conversion processes identifying and assessing the environmental impact of alternative valorisation/disposal for biogenic waste flows (e.g. particle boards for forestry residues) or marginal suppliers for bio feedstock and estimation of any potential indirect land use change encompassing further effects on the carbon balance.

You will be mainly in charge of:

·          Communication with the project partners

·          Data collection and LCA models implementation

·          Project reporting

·          Public presentations (Workshops, Webinars, Conferences, etc.)

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education:

·         MSc degree in an engineering discipline

Experience and skills:

·         Good knowledge of LCA methodology and standards

·         Good knowledge of at least one LCA software (e.g. SimaPro, GaBi or OpenLCA) is required, while knowledge of Brightway2 is an asset

·         Proven programming expertise in Python is necessary (knowledge of other programming languages is an asset)

·         Basic knowledge of industrial processes (mass and Energy balances, basic thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, waste streams, etc.)

·         Ability to work in autonomy, possibly with previous experience in large European projects

·         Proven organizational skills and interdisciplinary thinking, a problem-solving mind-set, and a strong team-working capability, but is also able to work in autonomy and creatively.

Language skills

·          Fluency in English (both spoken and written) is required.

·          Knowledge of German and/or French and/or Luxembourgish is considered as an asset

Your LIST benefits

·          An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects

·          Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society

·          An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas

·          Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills

·          Multicultural and international work environment with more than 50 nationalities represented in our workforce

·          Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions

·          Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science

·          32 days paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance

·          Flexible working hours, home working policy and access to Digital lunch vouchers

Apply online

Your application must include:

·          A motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

·          A CV with contact details

·          List of publications (and patents, if applicable)

·          Contact details of 2 references

Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

Application procedure and conditions

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.