Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d)

The University of Bayreuth is a research-oriented university with internationally competitive and interdisciplinary profile fields in research and teaching.

The following full-time position is available at the Chair of Ecological Resource Technology at the Faculty for Engineering Science, starting 1 October 2026:

The Chair for Ecological Resource Technology focuses on the modelling, simulation, and evaluation of global material cycles. Our research focuses on the use and processing of resources from mining to recycling. Our goal is to create sustainable technical systems for metals, minerals, and biogenic resources. We use industrial ecology methods, particularly raw material criticality assessment, material flow analysis, and life cycle assessment. Thereby, we evaluate environmental and techno-economic aspects. The research group values interdisciplinary collaboration and offers you a variety of opportunities to participate actively.

The position is embedded in the collaborative project LignUp, funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation under its "Breakthrough" programme. LignUp develops functional materials from lignin, a biogenic waste stream from the pulp and paper industry, for electrochemical energy storage and water treatment. Lignin is currently burned on a large scale; LignUp transforms it into porous carbon materials for batteries, supercapacitors, and adsorbents for the recovery of critical metals.

The consortium is led by Friedrich Schiller University Jena (CEEC Jena) and brings together groups from Jena, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Hochschule Nordhausen, Fraunhofer IKTS, and the University of Bayreuth. The Chair for Ecological Resource Technology leads the Work Field on Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Policy. Its role is to assess the environmental impacts and resource efficiency of lignin-based materials and to analyse environmental policy conditions for the transition to bio-based materials.

Your responsibilities:

• Design, execution, and analysis of life cycle assessments (LCA) of lignin-based materials compared to conventional alternatives
• Analysis of business and environmental policy frameworks for the transition to bio-based materials in energy and circular economy systems
• Integration of results with the technical work fields of the consortium (material development, batteries, water treatment)
• Independent research for reaching the project goals and further research contributions
• Active participation in the collaborative project, coordination and exchange with project partners and industrial advisory board members
• Publication of scientific articles and presentation of results at conferences in German and English
• Writing of project reports
  
  

Your profile:

• very good or good master’s degree in engineering, natural sciences, or related field
• preferably a specialisation in life cycle assessment (LCA), material flow analysis, bio-based materials, circular economy, or similar sustainability topics
• preferably experience with LCA software (e.g. OpenLCA, Brightway) or relevant databases (ecoinvent)
• preferably programming skills in Python or a similar programming language
• independent work ethics, scientific rigour, systematic and analytic thinking, commitment, creativity, and ability to work in a team
• at least C1 level proficiency in the English language
• at least A2 level proficiency in the German language with the motivation to improve further

Our offer:

• We support your goal of turning the project results into your own PhD project in engineering (Dr.-Ing.).
• We support your scientific and personal development through intensive collaboration in the research group and the project, international research connections, and training programs of the UBT Graduate School and the Centre for University Teaching.
• A salary and working hours in accordance with the public salary scale TV-L E13.
• The position is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation and is initially limited to 3 years.

The University of Bayreuth values the diversity of its employees and is explicitly committed to the goal of gender equality. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants with children are very welcome. The University of Bayreuth is a member of the Best Practice Network "Familie in der Hochschule e.V.", and has successfully participated in the HRK audit "Internationalization of the University". Persons with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they are equally qualified.

Please apply online with meaningful documents (including a letter of motivation, a summary of the Master’s thesis, curriculum vitae, and certificates) via the University of Bayreuth application portal using the keyword “ÖRT LignUp”. The application deadline is 30 June 2026. The documents will be deleted after the position has been filled, in accordance with data protection requirements.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Helbig, Professor of Ecological Resource Technology (christoph.helbig@uni-bayreuth.de, +49(0)921/55-7540).