Research Assistant

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday package

Pension schemes

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Newcastle University invites applications for a Research Assistant to join an ESRC-funded project assessing socio-environmental trade-offs in defence supply chains. You will develop Life Cycle Assessment methods to trace critical minerals from source to military products, identifying hotspots of emissions and environmental impacts.

The role emphasizes collaboration and dissemination. You will quantify flows across supply chains, use tools like OpenLCA and OpenLCA/Ecoinvent databases, and support

Qualifications

• Honours degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or related field.
• Experience analysing data and communicating results to clients or stakeholders.
• Proficiency with IT and office software; ability to work with multiple datasets and tools.

Responsibilities

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes.
• Co-ordinate own work with others and contribute to project planning.
• Present information on research progress to researchers or groups.
• Write up results and contribute to dissemination (reports, papers, chapters).
• Use research resources and equipment as appropriate.
• Quantify flows of materials, carbon and resources across supply chains.
• Conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) using established databases and software.
• Identify hotspots for emissions and environmental impacts across value chains.
• Support development of digital tools and data platforms for sustainability assessment.
• Contribute to writing and dissemination through seminars and conferences.

Skills

Attention to detail

Data analysis

Presentation of information

Research problem solving

Programming (Python, R, MATLAB)

LCA understanding

Collaboration with colleagues

Education

Honours degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or related

Tools

OpenLCA

Ecoinvent

Xcycle

Job description

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Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 27 October 2026

The Role

In our research, we will assess and develop socio-environmental trade-offs of different supply chains and the unique climate-security and geopolitical challenges facing the defence sector.

You will be working on the ESRC-funded project: Critically Green, where we will develop new ways of understanding the environmental impacts of military operations. This includes a novel Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment (and perhaps Social LCA), which will enable us to follow the critical minerals from their source to their finished military products. We will be tracing their social and environmental impacts along the way. We will use these findings to pinpoint 'hotspots' of carbon emissions and social and environmental impacts, such as water pollution, deforestation and population displacement.

Using Life Cycle Assessment, you will examine the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) use of critical minerals and different sourcing options. Specifically, you will quantify the environmental impacts of the military supply chains for example, extracting lithium and graphite.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf . These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate
• Quantify flows of materials, carbon, and resources across supply chains
• Conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of products, processes, or systems using established databases (e.g., Ecoinvent) and software (e.g., Xcycle, OpenLCA)
• Identify hotspots for emissions, resource depletion, and environmental impacts across value chains
• Support development of digital tools and data platforms for sustainability assessment and decision-making
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Research Assistant

• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results for clients i.e. consultancy reports
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems.
• Strong understanding of sustainability assessment frameworks, circular economy principles, and supply chain analysis
• Extensive experience using LCA tools/databases (e.g., OpenLCA, Ecoinvent)
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues and delivering LCA training courses
• Skills in data analysis, modelling, or programming (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, or similar)
• Experience in creating and delivering Environmental Product Declaration reports
• Proven track record of technical communication, translating scientific ideas and output figures into actionable improvements for clients

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• Honours degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related discipline

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.