Lecturer in Renewable Energy and Life Cycle Sustainability

About us

The UCL Energy Institute aims to support the transition to a globally sustainable energy system by studying the interactions between energy and key sectors such as buildings, transport, resources, climate change, digitalization, energy and innovation.

About the role

The successful candidate will significantly strengthen our research and teaching in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of renewable energy technologies. We seek an individual with substantial research experience in developing, applying and interpreting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models for renewable energy technologies and integrated energy systems, including wind turbines, solar PV, solar thermal technologies, batteries and energy storage systems. The candidate should demonstrate technical expertise in LCA model development, life cycle inventory compilation, and database management, life cycle impact assessment, scenario modelling, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, and interpretation of LCA results for renewables for renewable energy technologies and their integration within energy systems and energy demand applications. Strong expertise with LCA software tools and computational approaches for managing and analysing LCA data.

Expertise in complementary approaches, such as Material Flow Analysis (MFA), critical material assessment, circular economy approaches or the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven methods with LCA, is highly desirable. In particular, experience in applying AI and data -driven approaches to enhance LCA modelling practice, including improving data availability, inventory development, model automation, uncertainty analysis and interpretation, would be particularly valued. We are looking for a proven ability to teach and supervise students in the use of LCA software tools for practical analysis of renewable energy technologies and systems, as well as methods related to materiality assessment. In addition to developing a research agenda in collaboration with colleagues, the successful candidate will contribute to teaching to our MSc and BSc programs, teaching in Sustainable Built Environments, Energy and Resources BSc and MEng and contributing to other programmes.

This post is a permanent role available from 1^st February 2027.

UCL welcomes applications from international applicants and has licence to sponsor individuals who require a visa. This is dependent on the post and candidate meeting eligibility requirements for visa sponsorship under UK Visas and Immigration legislation.

About you

You will bring strong expertise in conducting life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis in energy sector, with a proven ability to evaluate environmental impact of energy systems across their full lifecycle.

You will hold a PhD, and be able to demonstrate substantial experience in applying quantitative LCA methods, technical modelling and data-driven analysis, evidenced through peer-reviewed publications.

Your knowledge should encompass key LCA phases, including inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation, enabling you to deliver robust and policy-relevant sustainability insights. You will be proficient in using LCA software tools such as GaBi, OpenLCA, or SimaPro and can effectively teach students how to apply these tools to real-world challenges in energy systems analysis.

To find out more about this opportunity, including the benefits of working at UCL, please access the full job description and submit your application via the ‘Apply’ button above.

Customer advert reference: B04-07778

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