Vacancy No. 329/2025

329/2025 Postdoc / Senior Scientist (f/m/d) for Quantitative Ecological, Economic and Social Sustainability Analyses of Energy Storage Technologies

The ITAS is Germany’s and the one of the world’s leading institute for technology assessment, with long-term expertise in technology impact research and systems analysis. This includes identifying possible consequences of emerging technologies at the earliest possible stage, with the aim of harnessing potential and minimising risks.

Job description

The research group "Research for Sustainable Energy Technologies" (RESET) conducts research on various energy generation and storage technologies. One focus is on electrochemical storage systems (in particular Power-to-X and batteries). The position within the RESET group involves the further development and management of an energy technology field. You will work in the area of assessing and optimising the environmental impacts of new and emerging energy technologies, with a particular focus on synthetic fuels and energy storage (P2X). Your responsibilities will include:

  • Conducting life cycle sustainability assessments (prospective LCA, LCC, Social-LCA) for new and emerging energy technologies, including data collection, analysis and interpretation
  • Developing tools, models, and databases to support sustainability and life cycle assessment activities, supporting LCA-Lab
  • Collaborating in national and EU projects to integrate sustainability aspects into product design, development and decision-making processes.
  • Identifying opportunities for environmental improvements and resource optimisation throughout the entire product life cycle, including circular economy approaches
  • Communicating results and recommendations to societal stakeholders and project partners within projects and transdisciplinary activities
  • Preparing reports, publications and presentations, and organising workshops
Personal qualification

We expect:

  • A university degree (Master’s) in engineering, natural sciences or environmental sciences with a completed PhD
  • Very good knowledge and experience in life cycle assessment methodology (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC)
  • Knowledge in the fields of social life cycle 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 systems analysis in the energy sector
  • Ability to work independently as well as in a team, organisational skills and good communication skills
  • Very good German and English language skills (spoken and written)
  • An 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

01.10.2025

Contract duration

limited to 3 years

Application up to

31.08.2025

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 329/2025 .
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.