Postdoctoral position (2 years) in Environmental Systems Analysis - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Chemistry is the largest department in the Faculty of Science and Technology, with about 200 employees and with a strong and expanding research. Three major areas of research, Biological Chemistry, Environmental and Biogeochemistry and Technical Chemistry, represent the research and chemistry education of the department. The research program Bio4Energy(http://www.bio4energy.se) aims to create highly efficient and environmentally-sound bio refinery processes, based on forest biomass as a raw material, for making products such as biofuels and "green" chemicals. A systematic environmental impact analysis of the different process steps in the making of such products is an important aspect in Bio4Energy.

The employment is placed at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, with specific projects in collaboration with other research partners in other departments and universities. The employment is full-time for two years with access by agreement. 

Work description
As a part of the systems analysis platform within the Bio4energy program, the successful candidate will be studying sustainability performance of forest biomass derived products (mostly chemicals, and fuels) and their contribution to prospective growth of bioeconomy. The post-doctoral researcher recruited for the position will conduct research from a systems perspective with his/her activities focused (but not limited to) to:

• Perform assessments integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) with data analytics (e.g. principal component analysis) and process optimization (e.g. Aspen) to evaluate environmental performance of forest biomass derived biofuels and biobased chemicals
• Explore the role of other renewable biobased feedstocks (e.g. biowaste, algal biomass complementary to forest biomass) in contribution to growth of bioeconomy
• Evaluate sustainability potential of using emerging forest products in transportation and construction industries.

The post-doc is mainly devoted to research and will be a part of a research group together with doctoral students, researchers and other post-docs within the Bio4energy research program.

Qualifications
The required qualification is a doctoral degree in bioprocess engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering/chemistry or equivalent subject. Priority should be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the closing date of the application, unless special circumstances exist. Documented research experience of important methods in environmental systems analysis and process optimization modelling, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), materials flow analysis (MFA) and/or substance flow analysis (SFA) is required. A proven experience in technical industrial applications for carrying out LCA (i.e. Simapro) and process optimization (i.e. Aspen) are strong merits. Knowledge of forest biomass and biochemical processes for the conversion of biomass is a merit.

We are looking for a highly motivated person who can work both independently and in a team, who have great power of initiative and a proven experience of independent scientific work and publication in scientific journals. Personal qualities that are particularly requested are responsibility, ability to collaborate, goal orientation and ability to structure. The candidate must have strong written and oral communication skills in English.

Application
A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter (max 2 pages) including a description of your qualifications, research interests and motivation for applying
• A Curriculum Vitae, including a publication list
• Copies of degree certificates or equivalent
• Copies of the PhD thesis and relevant publications (max 5 publications)
• Name and contact information of at least two reference persons

The application should be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. You apply through our e-recruitment system. Log into the system and apply via the button at the bottom of the webpage. The last day to apply is August 10th 2018.

For more information please contact Dr. Venkata Krishna Kumar Upadhyayula, phone: +4690-7865989 or email: krishna.upadhyayula@umu.se

For more information about the Department of Chemistry, see: www.chemistry.umu.se/english For more information about working at Umeå University, see: https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/