Carbon Leadership Forum

The Carbon Leadership Forum within the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington accelerates the transformation of the building sector to radically reduce the embodied carbon of buildings and infrastructure through collective action. We research, educate and foster cross-collaboration to bring embodied carbon of buildings and infrastructure down to zero.

Learn more about the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) at www.carbonleadershipforum.org 

Job Description

The Carbon Leadership Forum is seeking one or more entry to mid-level Postdoctoral Scholar(s) to join our team in Seattle, WA to focus on advancing life cycle assessment (LCA) data, tools and policy through applied research. Current active projects that can support postdoctoral scholar include developing methods and tools to assess novel carbon storing building materials and systems (POD|LCA) and developing building scale embodied carbon benchmarks (WBLCA Benchmark V2. We are looking for creative and motivated individuals to both help us meet current commitments and to develop and define the next stage of our research work.

General Duties:  This position will conduct research, manage projects and develop publications in support of one or more research projects underway by the CLF. Additional responsibilities will include mentoring of graduate students and CLF staff in research methods and LCA. There is the potential for teaching/co-teaching within the College of Built Environments depending upon Departmental needs. Requires collaborating with a diverse remote CLF team and interfacing with academic and professional collaborators both within and external to the University of Washington. The post-doctoral scholar will be working under the supervision of Professor Kate Simonen and will be expected to develop an Individual Development Plan within each year of employment. More information about the institutional support for Postdocs can be found at the UW Graduate School.

Work Schedule:  This is a 1.0 FTE position starting as soon as filled. The position is supported by external grants to the University of Washington, and is therefore subject to on-going availability of research funding. This is a term limited position. Funding is in place for two to four years (depending on the project) – with a strong outlook for the next five.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $95,000/year

Timeline:  Applications will be reviewed starting January 15, 2023 and will remain open until position(s) are filled.

Conditions of Employment:  The position requires a PhD in architecture, engineering, material science, environmental science or a related field. Foreign equivalents will be accepted. Applicants must present documentation confirming completion of doctoral degree requirements (PhD or equivalent) and date the degree will be conferred before the position start date. Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Required Skills/Background:

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to perform quantitative research and analysis.
• Strong verbal, written and graphic communication skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Awareness of environmental performance metrics

Desired Skills:  

• Highly-motivated and independent researcher with a demonstrated record of scholarship
• Demonstrated record of successful interdisciplinary collaboration
• Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  • Primary LCA modeling experience (SimaPro, Gabi, and/or OpenLCA)
• Benchmarking and targets
  • Whole building LCA modeling
  • Benchmarking methodologies
• Innovations in materials and processes
  • Carbon dioxide removal pathways: technological/mineral
  • Carbon dioxide removal pathways: biological/forestry/agriculture
  • Material science/chemistry
  • Novel low carbon material solutions
• Data analysis and tool development
  • visualization/communication
  • Multi-criteria decision making/optimization
  • Statistics/Data Management
  • Coding (esp. Python) and open-source development and publication.
  • User interface design

Applicants should submit a cover letter outlining research interests and a comprehensive CV detailing academic and professional experiences and including publication and presentation record via Interfolio.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Benefits Information

A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University's Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member's academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).

Privacy Notice

Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.

Disability Services

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements and Information

Under University of Washington (UW) Policy, University-compensated personnel must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof thereof, or receive a UW-approved medical or religious exemption. This requirement will be a condition of any offer associated with this recruitment. For more information, please visit https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/vaccination-requirement/.

About University of Washington

Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest public institutions in the west coast and one of the preeminent research universities in the world. The University of Washington is a multi-campus university comprised of three different campuses: Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell. The Seattle campus is made up of sixteen schools and colleges that serve students ranging from an undergraduate level to a doctoral level. The university is home to world-class libraries, arts, music, drama, and sports, as well as the highest quality medical care in Washington State and a world-class academic medical center. The teaching and research of the University’s many professional schools provide undergraduate and graduate students the education necessary toward achieving an excellence that will serve the state, the region, and the nation. As part of a large and diverse community, the University of Washington serves more students than any other institution in the Northwest.

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