Lecturer in Energy and Life Cycle Sustainability
The UCL Energy Institute aims to support the transition to a globally sustainable energy system by studying the interactions between energy and key sectors such as buildings, transport, resources, climate change, digitalization, energy and innovation.
About the role
The successful candidate will significantly strengthen our research and teaching capacity at the intersection of environmental and life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of energy systems across their full lifecycle. This includes:
- A strong background in conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of energy systems and energy technologies across their full lifecycle.
- Expertise in inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation.
- Expertise in critical materials used in renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar PV, energy storage technologies.
- Proven ability to teach and supervise students in the use of LCA software tools for practical analysis of energy technologies and systems, as well as methods related to materiality assessment.
- Ability to collaborate with researchers from environmental sciences, engineering, economics, and social sciences to address complex energy and sustainability challenges.
- Demonstrated track record of publishing research in academic journals.
- Experience working with energy industry, government, or NGOs on sustainability and lifecycle management of energy systems.
The start date for this position is 25 September 2026 or earlier. Please apply only if you are available to start on this date. Please note that the first round of interviews will take place on 19th June, and the second round on 25th June. We will not be able to accommodate alternative dates.
About you
You bring strong expertise in conducting life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis in the energy sector, with a proven ability to evaluate environmental impact of energy systems across their full lifecycle, knowledge should encompass key LCA phases, including inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation, enabling you to deliver robust and policy relevant sustainability insights. You are proficient in using LCA software tools such as GaBi, OpenLCA, or SimaPro and can effectively teach students how to apply these tools to real world challenges in energy systems analysis.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits, some of which are below:
- 41 days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.
