Vacancy No. 94/2025
94/2025 Postdoc / Senior Scientist (f/m/d) for Quantitative Ecological, Economic, and Social Sustainability Analyses of Energy Storage Technologies
The ITAS is the leading institute for technology assessment in Germany and worldwide, with decades of expertise in technology impact research and system analysis. This includes the early identification of possible impacts of emerging technologies to exhibit their potential while minimizing risks.
Job description
The research group "Research for Sustainable Energy Technologies" (RESET) focuses on various energy generation and storage technologies, with a particular emphasis on electrochemical storage systems (especially Power-to-X, H2 and batteries). This position within the RESET research group aims at further developing and managing a specific energy technology field. Your work will involve assessing and optimizing the environmental impacts of energy storage technologies, with a special focus on hydrogen, synthetic fuels (P2X), and thermal storage. Your tasks will include:
- Conducting life-cycle-oriented ecological, economic, and social sustainability assessments (prospective LCA, LCC, Social-LCA) of current and emerging energy technologies,
- Developing and maintaining tools, models, and databases to support sustainability and life cycle analyses,
- Leading and collaborating in national and EU projects to integrate sustainability aspects into product design, product development, and decision-making processes,
- Communicating results and recommendations to societal stakeholders and project partners within transdisciplinary activities; preparing reports, publications, presentations, and organizing workshops,
- Contributing to the development of new research areas and implementing sustainability strategies and initiatives.
Personal qualification
We expect:
- A university degree (Master’s) in engineering, natural, or environmental sciences with a completed PhD,
- Strong knowledge and experience in life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and life cycle cost analysis (LCC),
- Familiarity with social sustainability assessment (S-LCA), multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), and industrial ecology,
- Understanding of sustainability principles, life cycle analysis methods, and energy technologies, as well as systemic analysis in the energy sector,
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, strong organizational and communication skills,
- Excellent English language skills and (spoken and written), willingness to learn German
- Interest in working in an interdisciplinary and international team.
Salary
Salary category 13, depending on the fulfillment of professional and personal requirements.
Organizational unit
Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)
Starting date
asap
Contract duration
limited to 3 years
Application up to
31.03.2025
Contact person in line-management
For further information, please contact Dr.-Ing. Marcel Weil, marcel.weil@kit.edu
Application
Please apply online using the button below for this vacancy number 94/2025 .
Personnel Support is provided by
Ms Wenz
phone: +49 721 608-25093,
Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
We prefer to balance the number of employees (f/m/d). Therefore we kindly ask female applicants to apply for this job.
Recognized severely disabled persons will be preferred if they are equally qualified.