Cycle Assessment; LCA Scientist

Overview

Job Title:

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Scientist

Work Level: WL2

Location:

Colworth

Unilever is seeking an LCA scientist who has a passion for environmental sustainability to join a team of experts in our Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS). This is an exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to use their scientific expertise to make a significant positive impact, whilst working in a supportive, team-based environment. This pivotal role will enable you to work on tackling some of the key global environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change, packaging waste and biodiversity loss.

This is a science role. It is not an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) or Corporate social responsibility (CSR) role.

• Environmental sustainability assessment (e.g. LCA, Sustainable by design) of products, new materials, technologies, and business models. This includes performing LCAs using software (e.g. Sima Pro, GaBi, and Brightway), interpreting the results and preparing communications for internal and external audiences.
• Application of computational approaches such as Python, R, MATLAB to enable cutting-edge approaches to be applied in LCA.
• Development of new scientific approaches: deliver new scientific methods related to life cycle assessment (e.g. in the areas of spatial and prospective impact assessment), including writing reports and publications.
• External engagement with universities, research groups, trade associations and suppliers.

• A relevant Masters degree or PhD, ideally with several years of industrial/ consulting/ post-doctoral experience using LCA.
• Strong knowledge and experience in LCA modelling, using both software and coding.
• Strong experience in the development and application of Life Cycle Impact Assessment and/or foot printing methodologies and associated standards, protocols, and databases.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific information and rationales on environmental sustainability to individuals from other disciplines or from non-technical backgrounds as well as via publications.
• Ability to employ a strategic and growth mindset. Proven track record of leading / working as part of a team. Willingness to explore and learn new approaches and to support others in doing so.

If you have the following skills, that's a bonus but not essential:

• Broader sustainability expertise in any of the following areas: bio-based systems, agriculture, green chemistry, circular economy, industrial ecology.
• Experience of employing approaches to assess variability and uncertainty in impact assessments.
• Prospective modelling ideally with a focus on ex-ante LCA and/or wider sustainable consumption scenarios.
• Experience of developing/employing data, methods and tools for spatially resolved impact assessment e.g. GIS, InVEST, Land Change Modelling.
• Experience of using Input/Output (I/O) or hybrid I/O analysis and related methods.

Colworth Science Park is a vibrant scientific ecosystem with around 800 employees (270 from Unilever) based on site from over 30 nationalities, with 88 PhDs, 8 Professors (2 in Unilever), a large community of apprentices (8 in Unilever).

On site there are various facilities including a restaurant, cafe, a nursery and a gym. There are many social and recreational activities to take part in such as going for a lunchtime walk or run in the beautiful surrounding countryside, and netball team to name just a few. London, with all its attractions, is a short 40-minute train ride from Bedford.

We want consumers to be confident that our products are safe for them and their families, and better for the environment. The scientists in Unilever's Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS) group play a key role in ensuring that our products are safe, and our business is environmentally sustainable. SERS's world-class reputation for safety and sustainability science plays a key role in Unilever achieving its purpose, by working across the business to build safety and environmental sustainability into everything we do;

find out how at

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