Research Assistant: Hierarchical Material Intensities

Build Zero is a £6 million project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that will develop a detailed vision of more sustainable building practices. This five‑year project, led by the University of Sheffield in partnership with the Universities of Bath, Manchester, Cardiff and Cambridge, and a range of industrial collaborators, will consider options for developing methods for building without extracting new resources, eliminating waste and reducing carbon emissions from material extraction and production.

It will assess the extent to which the vision for a circular economy is achievable at regional and national level, and provide a platform for demonstrating these solutions at scale.

The built environment is a major resource consumer, produces around 60% of the UK’s waste and is responsible for approximately 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions. However, it also holds a vast stock of materials with reuse potential, making it a strong candidate for a circular economy. Working with a range of stakeholders, the consortium will co‑develop visions of sustainable building futures to shape what solutions are desired, acceptable and inclusive, while exploring the impact of these solutions to get us to a circular economy with zero carbon emissions.

The successful candidate will develop specification and product level material intensities that are representative of the UK’s buildings and will be an integral member of the large, multidisciplinary Build Zero project team, contributing to wider project tasks, events and outputs.

• Quantify typical ranges for the material intensity, embodied carbon and reuse potential of different building products and typical construction specifications across building layers, with a particular focus on the skin, services and fit‑out.
• Analyse existing building drawings to estimate material intensities.
• Work with the wider research team to scale building‑level material quantities, embodied carbon and reuse potentials to the neighbourhood, city and national levels. Knowledge of Python coding is beneficial.
• Visualise results to clearly communicate findings to different stakeholders, including the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Work with the wider research team in preparing research papers for journal publication and associated conference papers/presentations.
• Plan a research schedule to ensure personal milestones within the project are met.
• Work in close collaboration with other members of the Build Zero project team, including effective engagement with industrial, commercial and public project stakeholders.
• Participate in, and present progress reports at, a variety of Build Zero related team meetings and events.
• Undertake appropriate personal and professional development.
• Undertake other tasks associated with the research project, including planning and organising project tasks and implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

• Have (or be in the final year of) an undergraduate degree in a relevant built environment discipline, including civil/structural engineering, architecture, architectural engineering or an adjacent discipline.
• Experience of conducting material inventories, embodied carbon and whole‑life carbon assessments of the built environment.
• Knowledge of how to interpret building plans/sections/elevations.
• Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Proficient using Microsoft Excel.

• Experience using Python or other coding languages.
• Experience using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for data analysis and visualisation.

• Grade: 6
• Salary: £32,080 - £36,636
• Work arrangement:
  Full time
• Duration:
  One year
• Line manager:
  Build Zero Project Lead
• Direct reports: N/A
• Website:
• For informal enquiries about this job contact:
  • d.de

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place the week commencing 3rd August. The process will consist of an interview and test. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 27th July. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact ma

We are a Disability Confident Leader. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page: