Research Assistant

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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

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  . 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

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