VACANCY NOTICE – 2026-JRC.D.3-IPR-FGIV-003348
Project Officer –Life cycle data and methods for circular economy and green transition
Type of contract
Member of the European Commission’s contract staff, Function Group IV (article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants)
Duration of contract 36 months (renewable up to maximum 6 years)
Area
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); EU Environmental Footprint; Ecodesign; life cycle inventory; life cycle data; sustainable products policies; circular economy; supply chain analysis.
Place of employment Ispra (IT)
Indicative basic salary
4.449,31 - 6.444,59 € (applicable as of 1st of July 2025)
For more detailed information please consult: Working Conditions
We are
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society.
The current vacancy is with the Sustainable Resources Directorate, Sustainable Supply Chain and Bioeconomy Unit.
As part of the Sustainable Resources Directorate, the Sustainable Supply Chains and Bioeconomy Unit’s mission is to provide independent evidence in support of EU policies on the clean and green transition, such as circular economy and bioeconomy, towards sustainable and resilient supply chains. The Unit looks at competing demands for biotic and abiotic resources whilst addressing security of supply and fostering sustainability of production and consumption systems at the level of materials, chemicals, processes and products. A life-cycle approach is applied, to identify sustainable solutions that foster competitiveness while remaining within planetary boundaries.
The Unit promotes the sustainability of supply chains, supporting the efficient, sustainable and circular use of raw materials.
Further information: European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment ; https://rmis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ ;
The work aims at conducting and coordinating research on life cycle assessment based data and methods for supply chains analysis, and support environmental databases development (including data development and testing).
We offer:
High-quality working conditions in a dynamic environment. Working in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, the successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to support EU policies related to the green transitions and contribute to JRC’s research agenda. The JRC encourages team working environment that includes interactions with policy makers, academics and other leading stakeholders active in the field, including participation in (international) conferences and workshops, as well as occasional travel.
Please see also Working at the Commission – conditions and environment (europa.eu)
We propose
The Unit carries out gap analysis and tailored scientific developments adapted to EU strategies that are delivering on the EU Clean Industrial Deal, the EU Chemical Strategy, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and Circular Economy ambitions, considering also the EU competitiveness and open strategic autonomy agenda.
In particular, we conduct research on supply chains that are in scope of various policies as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the Critical Raw Material Act, the Waste Framework Directive, the Battery Regulation, among the others. Within this context, we offer a position for a researcher expert in life cycle assessment, especially in the field of data collection, analysis, checking and management, to support the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment. The position aims at contributing to the assessment and improvement of supply chains data and information for different sectors, including chemicals, (critical) raw materials, (renewable) energy systems, and biobased products.
This research will include:
- Development and analysis of supply chain data, also from a format and nomenclature perspective, as well as quality assurance procedures for data, with a special focus on the support to the activities of the European Life Cycle Data Network.
- Analysis and mapping of data collected already within different policy context, to exploit harmonisation possibilities and identify barriers (related to e.g. data interoperability, confidentiality, legal issues).
- Design frameworks for novel environmental databases, and explore their synergies with LCA/EF datasets development.
- Conducting LCA of case-studies in different sectors, including: life cycle inventory data collection for processes and organisation; modelling via dedicated LCA software and tools; deriving sensitivity analysis and impacts interpretation.
- Developing, checking, and reviewing ad-hoc tools for data needed for supply chains analysis.
- Liaising with different research teams (inside and outside the Commission), organising meetings and stakeholder consultations, chairing expert groups, supporting policy measures definition and implementation.
- Providing evidence to support the impact assessment of policy documents.
- Produce scientific publications and policy briefs.
The research is highly interdisciplinary and will be conducted in the context of international scientific networks and interaction with various stakeholders, to contribute, with a sound scientific basis, to the development and coherence of EU supply chain and product policies.
We look for
We are looking for a candidate with an education background in engineering, environmental/sustainability science, chemistry or related fields, with knowledge and research experience on material flow analysis, LCA and the EU Environmental Footprint (essential).
Experience will be evaluated also considering studies, specialisations, degree thesis and/or dissertations performed.
The ideal candidate shall have a PhD or proven research experience (of at least 3 years) on sustainability and circularity assessments of products and systems in complex supply chains, with specific expertise on life cycle inventory, life cycle data and datasets applied to industrial sectors (essential).
Particularly relevant (as advantage) are experiences gained in life cycle data developments and analysis (including data format, quality, and verification), Environmental Footprint data, specialised LCA software and tools, and familiarity with relevant programming languages, IT applications, tools as well as artificial intelligence is an advantage.
Proven record (including bibliometric indexes) of relevant scientific publications is also an advantage, as for scientific journal articles, conference articles, and scientific reports in fields relevant for this position.
Excellent level of English C1 language is essential.
How to apply
If you are already on a valid CAST FG IV reserve list, or you have already applied to one of the calls below, you can directly submit your application at JRC Recruitment Portal.
If not, before applying to this position, you must register for one of the two following databases:
- the Selection process for contract staff | EU Personnel Selection – EU Careers (EPSO CAST FG IV), which is used by a wide range of organisations (institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union), or
- the call for researchers (JRC Call COM/1/2015/GFIV – Research), which is mainly used by the JRC.
Note that each of the calls above has different minimum eligibility requirements and different selection tests.
The JRC cultivates a workplace based on respect for other people and the environment, and embraces non-discriminatory practices and equality of opportunity. In case of equal merit, preference will be given to the gender in minority.