PhD Student (f/m/d) Life cycle assessment and process evaluation of a peptide-based separation process for the recycling of palladium

With cutting-edge research in the fields of ENERGY, HEALTH and MATTER, around 1,500 employees from more than 70 nations at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are committed to mastering the great challenges facing society today.

At the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), innovative technologies for the circulareconomy are developed to provide and use mineral and metal-bearing rawmaterials more efficiently and to recycle them in an environmentally friendly way.

The Group Pep2Rec is looking for a PhD Student (f/m/d) Life cycle assessment and process evaluation of a peptide-based separation process for the recycling of palladium. 

Your tasks

• Conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of the peptide-based separation process for the recycling of palladium
• Modelling and simulation of material and substance flows during peptide production, membrane functionalization and process development
• Development and application of material flow cost accounting models (MFCA) to optimize resource efficiency and cost structure
• Preparation and presentation of scientific reports and publications based on the research results, both in scientific journals and at international conference
• Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and exchange of ideas and results with experts in the fields of peptide and bioprocess development as well as life cycle assessment (LCA and LCC) for continuous improvement of the project

Your profile

• Completed university studies (Master/Diploma) in the field of Environmental sciences, sustainability sciences, industrial engineering, environmental technology, energy and resource management or related field
• Knowledge of process modeling, life cycle analysis (LCA), sustainability assessment and basic understanding of bioprocess development
• High level of comprehension, interdisciplinary thinking and working, ability to work in a team, willingness to cooperate, independent working style
• Experience with common LCA tools such as GaBi, SimaPro, Umberto or OpenLCA for performing and analyzing life cycle assessments advantageous
• Workplace language is English (German is welcome, but not a requirement)

Our offer

• A vibrant research community in an open, diverse and international work environment
• Scientific excellence and extensive professional networking opportunities
• A structured PhD program with a comprehensive range of continuing education and networking opportunities - more information about the PhD program at the HZDR can be found here
• Salary and social benefits in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD-Bund) including 30 days of paid holiday leave, company pension scheme (VBL)
• We support a good work-life balance with the possibility of part-time employment, mobile working and flexible working hours
• Numerous company health management offerings
• Employee discounts with well-known providers via the platform Corporate Benefits
• An employer subsidy for the "Deutschland-Ticket Jobticket"

We look forward to receiving your application documents (including cover letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, etc.), which you can submit via our online-application-system.