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 April 2025:

on

Raw Materials Criticality and Supply Risks of Sustainable Energy Technologies

The Chair for Ecological Resource Technology focuses on the modelling, simulation, and evaluation of global material cycles. Our research is about using and processing resources from mining up to recycling. Our goal is to create sustainable technical systems for metals and mineral 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 into the collaborative project SOUVERÄN, where sovereign and sustainable supply chains for core energy technologies are identified and enabled. These technologies include wind power, photovoltaics, batteries, and electrolysers. The full project describes the life cycles and supply chains of these core energy technologies and develops transformation pathways for the energy system of the EU. In times of urgently required transformations towards carbon neutrality and existing and developing trade conflicts, this project is about a core challenge of our time. The Ecological Resource Technology group focuses on supply risk assessments for the four energy technologies, circularity scenarios for saving critical resources, resource efficiency and substitution scenarios, and supports the holistic planning of energy systems.

Your responsibilities:

• Conception, execution and analysis of Raw Material Criticality Analyses focusing on photovoltaics, wind power, batteries, and electrolysers
• Modelling, simulation, and evaluation of supply chains under consideration of on-/friendshoring, circular economy, resource efficiency and substation potentials
• Further development of the assessment of supply risks on a technology level for embedding into energy system models and for decision aid at the company level for energy technologies
• Connection of Raw Material Criticality Analyses with material flow models and holistic planning tools for energy systems
• Independent research for reaching the project goals
• Active participation in the collaborative project, coordination and exchange with project partners, active stakeholder dialogue
• Publication of scientific articles and presentation of results on conferences in German and English
• Writing of project reports
• In perspective, also teaching participation through courses and thesis supervision
  
  

Your profile:

• very good or good master’s degree in engineering, natural sciences, or related field
• knowledge of English language (at least level C1) and German language (at least B1)
• preferably a specialisation in critical raw materials, circular economy, recycling, resource efficiency, or similar sustainability topics
• preferably knowledge of energy technologies, in particular photovoltaics, wind power, batteries, and electrolysers
• preferably programming skills in python or a similar programming language
• independent work ethics, scientific rigor, systematic and analytic thinking, commitment, creativity, and ability to work in a team
• enjoyment of interdisciplinary cooperation and scientific discourse
  
  

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 public salary scale TV-L E13.
• The position is limited due to project funding for 30 months at the beginning. An extension in particular with the goal of pursuing a PhD is aimed for
  
  

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 SOUVERÄN”. The application deadline is 12.12.2024. 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).