The Desert Research Institute's (DRI's) Division of Atmospheric Sciences is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher in the area of life-cycle assessment (LCA) of energy and environmental impacts of various systems and processes. This position is located at DRI’s Northern Nevada Science Center in Reno, NV. While housed within DRI’s Division of Atmospheric Sciences, this position is intended to interact and collaborate across all three of DRI’s science divisions (including Hydrologic Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences, and Earth and Ecosystem Sciences), as well as with appropriate research groups within the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). We seek an individual with a strong research background and a passion for advancing sustainability and environmental impact assessments.

The successful candidate will become involved in an existing research project investigating environmental issues related to lithium in Nevada. The overall concept of the “lithium loop” is to position Nevada as a leader in the mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling of lithium used in advanced battery technologies. At each step of this loop, LCA tools will be used to assess energy and environmental impacts. The successful candidate will have a strong background in LCA methodologies and will have experience in applying LCA tools to similar, multi-step industrial processes.

Given satisfactory performance and proven ability to generate research funding, there is potential to evolve this position into a regular research faculty position. As with all DRI faculty members, the successful candidate will be expected to define and conduct independent and collaborative research projects. Such projects may include addition of an LCA component to existing and future DRI projects, and/or development of new, independent LCA projects in support of various sustainability studies.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Ph.D. from an accredited institution in Environmental Science and Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Industrial Ecology, or a related field.
• Familiarity with common LCA software (e.g., SimaPro, GaBi, OpenLCA) and databases.
• Experience with modern programming and data analysis languages (e.g., Python, R, or Matlab)
• Demonstrated experience in conducting LCA research.
• Potential to publish research in high-impact journals related to LCA and sustainability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language.
• Ability to effectively analyze and report research findings to sponsors, at conferences, and during professional meetings.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in diverse research teams.
• Ability to collaboratively develop research proposals and participate in grant writing to obtain research funding.
• Commitment to academic integrity and ethics.