Postdoc position on sustainable sanitation systems modelling

Department of Energy and Technology
At the Department of Energy and Technology, research and education are conducted focusing on how agriculture can contribute to a sustainable society. We have extensive expertise in technology and systems for sustainable production of food and bioenergy, including optimal nutrition circuits and logistics systems. Within the field of methodology we have extensive competence in System Analysis including Environmental Systems Analysis and LCA, as well as Biometrics (statistics and mathematics with applications in biological systems) and Automation.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Duties:
We are looking for a postdoc to strengthen our research on sustainability assessments of technologies for resource-recovery from urban organic waste, i.e. wastewater fractions and organic solid waste. We are particularly interested in individuals working at the nexus of sustainability, wastewater infrastructure, systems modeling, and policy. The candidate must have a demonstrated proficiency in systems thinking and system dynamics modeling, the ability to collaborate with a broad domain of stakeholders, and experience in assessing and distilling technical information into influential policy tools to inform decision-making processes.

The postdoc will (1) Develop and apply new transdisciplinary methods for sustainability analysis with a focus on resource recovery, (2) Develop systems dynamic models for transitioning to sanitation systems with increased resource efficiency and equitable access for all, (3) Increase knowledge of trade-offs between different sustainability aspects through publishing scientific and popular science papers, and (4) Develop and write research proposals for continued work on these topics.

Qualifications:
The candidate should have a PhD in technology or engineering, which clearly connects to waste/wastewater management and resource-recovery. Fluency in English is a requirement.

In the assessments of candidates, we will focus especially on technical systems modelling skills (systems thinking, system dynamics modelling, agent-based modelling, etc.), experience with modelling technology transitions and/or innovation adoption, experience developing assessment methods and incorporating collected data into models, ability to formulate policy-related resources, and a proven track record of publishing, grant writing and academic work individually and as part of a team.

Great emphasis is placed on personal qualities, such as the ability to work independently, flexibility, the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines, curiosity and willingness to learn, as well as a good analytical and problem-solving ability, and personal suitability.

The application should contain:


• Cover letter describing yourself, your academic interests and your motivation for applying for the position (maximum 2 A4 pages);
• CV describing your education, publications, relevant work experience, etc.;
• Proposal outlining the methods you would apply in a sustainability and trade-off analysis of a proposed innovation for recovering nutrients from wastewater (max 2 pages);
• Contact information for two references;
• Copy of your PhD certificate;

Since a postdoctoral appointment is a career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates obtained a doctoral degree within the last three years, completed latest before the appointments starting date.

Place of work:
Uppsala, Sweden.

Form of employment:
Temporary employment, 24 months.

Extent:
100%.

Starting date:
January 2023.

Application:
We welcome your application no later than 2022-10-30, use the button below.

Academic union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.

www.slu.se