Postdoctoral Position in Developing a Parametric Model for an Integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Material Flow Analysis of Built Stocks (Nested Phoenix) – 2 Years full time

The Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Town Planning of the Université Catholique de Louvain is opening a 2 years full-time Postdoctoral researcher position within the Nested Phoenix project funded by the FNRS (Belgian Fund for Scientific Research).

Nested Phoenix (http://nestedphoenix.com/) aims to develop a fully integrated life cycle assessment and material stocks and flows model for the built environment, from construction materials to entire neighbourhoods. The model will be coded in Python and will encompass different building types as well as infrastructure assets. It will be applied to Brussels, Belgium and to Melbourne, Australia. The research will be conducted in partnership with the University of Melbourne, Australia and the EPFL, Switzerland.

The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with Prof André Stephan and a full-time programmer on the project. A full-time PhD candidate focusing on modelling infrastructure assets will also be part of the team. The Postdoctoral researcher will contribute to devising and implementing the model as well as applying it to international case studies. A good knowledge of construction technology, materials, and building assemblies will be essential for this role.

The candidate will work closely with her/his supervisor and as part of an international team of researchers at the Louvain-la-Neuve campus of the Faculty, the main campus of the Université Catholique de Louvain. The candidate will have opportunities to be involved in teaching, research seminars and upskilling workshops where relevant, throughout her/his candidature.

To apply, please submit the required documentation, as specified below.

1. A cover letter;
2. A detailed CV of the candidate; and
3. A detailed response to each of the essential and desired selection criteria.

All files should be converted to PDF, numbered in the order above and submitted as a single ZIP file, named with the following format: <LastName_FirstName>.zip and emailed to Andre.Stephan@uclouvain.be, with the email subject being: “Application for Postdoc position Nested Phoenix”. Failure to comply with the aforementioned specifications will lead to an outright dismissal of the application.

Benefits

• A postdoctoral experience at the forefront of research in a world-leading research-intensive university
• International Collaborations with world-leading scientists and institutions, including the University of Melbourne and the EPFL
• A competitive salary (including health cover) and guaranteed additional operating funds throughout the postdoctoral research to attend conferences, for equipment, etc.
• State-of-the-art research experience in a critical and emerging field

Skills/Qualifications

The candidate must address each of the essential and desirable selection criteria.

Essential criteria

1. A PhD in architectural engineering, civil engineering, architecture or a cognate discipline;
2. An emerging track record of quality research as evidenced by publications in top journals;
3. Demonstrated skills and/or experience in object-oriented programming;
4. Commitment and ability to work as part of a team;
5. Good interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact with university staff at all levels; and
6. An Excellent command of English.

Desirable criteria

1. Demonstrated skills and/or experience in life cycle assessment and/or urban metabolism and/or industrial ecology;
2. Demonstrated skills and/or experience in geographical information systems (GIS);
3. Demonstrated skills and/or experience in Python programming language; and
4. International research experience.

Selection Process

The selection process will occur in five stages:

1. All interested candidates submit their applications as instructed in the description and by Friday the 12^th of March 2021, 5 pm Brussels time
2. The applications are screened and reviewed – March 2021
3. Short-listed applicants are invited to an interview (by video-conference) – March 2021
4. Short-listed applicants are interviewed – by the end of March 2021
5. All interviewed applicants are informed of the outcome of their interview and the selected applicant is informed of her/his success – Mid April 2021
6. The selected applicant applies, if relevant, for a Visa and takes care of the administrative work for an effective start as soon as possible and no later than June 30^th 2021 (as per the funding rules).