Sustainability Science Leader - Life Cycle Assessment

ZipRecruiter; Bedford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global supplier seeks a Sustainability Science Leader to join their Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science team. The role focuses on developing life cycle assessment methods to address global environmental challenges, leveraging a PhD background and expertise in LCA software. The position promotes collaboration across disciplines, offering strategic insights to support sustainability efforts within a vibrant scientific community.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• PhD with experience in industry, consulting, or postdoctoral work.
• Proven leadership and project proposal development experience.
• Experience in LCA methodologies and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop sustainability science strategies and LCA methods.
• Collaborate with universities and research groups.
• Utilize LCA software for industry applications.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

LCA software (SimaPro, Gabi, etc.)

Python

R

MATLAB

GIS

Job description

Job Description

This job is with Unilever, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the + business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

Job Title: Sustainability Science Leader - Life Cycle Assessment

Location: Colworth Science Park

Unilever is seeking a Sustainability Science Leader to join our Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS) team. This role offers an opportunity to apply scientific expertise to address global environmental challenges such as climate change, packaging waste, and biodiversity loss. It requires deep technical knowledge in life cycle assessment (LCA) and related approaches, and is not focused on ESG or CSR.

Job Purpose

The role involves developing science strategies, forming partnerships, and conducting collaborative research to advance LCA methods. You will work with universities, government, NGOs, and industry worldwide to develop new models, data, and methods, and publish findings at international conferences. Your research will be applied directly to business, improving assessment of Unilever's product portfolio across various categories to support our sustainability ambitions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement environmental sustainability science strategies: evolving research strategies, partnerships, funding, and dissemination.
• Create new scientific approaches: developing methods related to LCA, impact assessment, data approaches, and publishing results.
• Apply LCA software and computational tools: such as SimaPro, Gabi, Brightway, Python, R, MATLAB, GIS, for industry-relevant applications.
• Engage externally: collaborating with universities, research groups, trade associations, and suppliers.

About You

You should be able to work effectively in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams and adapt to a fast-changing environment. We expect:

• A relevant PhD with industry, consulting, or postdoctoral experience.
• Leadership experience in science, project proposal development, and partnerships.
• Experience in LCA impact assessment methodologies and related standards or tools.
• Strong communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences and publications.
• A strategic, growth-oriented mindset and team collaboration skills.

Additional skills that are a bonus include expertise in bio-based systems, agriculture, ecosystem services, green chemistry, circular economy, or industrial ecology; experience with variability and uncertainty assessment; I/O analysis; and predictive modeling related to sustainability.

Location

Colworth Park offers a vibrant scientific environment with extensive facilities and a community of researchers. It is well connected to London via train.

About SERS

Unilever's SERS group ensures product safety and environmental sustainability, supporting our purpose to make sustainable living commonplace. More at SERS.unilever.com.

About Unilever

Unilever is a leading global supplier of food, home, and personal care products, with over 400 brands and presence in 190+ countries, reaching 2 billion consumers daily.

Notes

We promote diversity and inclusion, offering flexible working options, and are committed to a family-friendly, inclusive workplace. We also take measures against recruitment fraud, advising vigilance and reporting suspicious activity.