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Deadline: until filled
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05-2025
APPLY
05-2025

Senior Material Scientist

The Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC) Research Group  within the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Program is recruiting a senior scientist in the area of material sciences and systems transformation to work with a team of international scientists to improve the understanding of future material use and resulting energy and GHG emissions. 

Background

The ECE Program at IIASA hosts one of the world’s leading global Integrated Assessment Modeling (IAM) teams, and seeks to deepen the understanding of rapid, just, and feasible systems transformations toward environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Interdisciplinary teams within ECE use these and complementary methods to study trade-offs and synergies between multiple policy priorities and objectives, typically across multiple sectors and scales (global, regional, national and subnational). ECE’s scientific outputs inform international and national policy efforts related to climate change (e.g., implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement) and sustainable development (e.g., pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals).

The results of the research carried out by the senior scientist in this role are expected to feed into the new generations of modeling tools at ECE, in particular the open source MESSAGEix model. 

Main tasks and responsibilities

  • Lead the research efforts in ECE to gain a better understanding of the material use and GHG emissions.
  • Empirical studies based on statistical data, including input output tables, trade and production volume data, material production and energy statistics.
  • Development of a material sector model and integration of the material model into MESSAGEix.
  • Regional and global assessment of future material demands across different sectors.
  • Develop methods to bridge across spatial and temporal scales in integrated assessment modeling (e.g., integrating spatially and temporally resolved information on material supply and mining into the IAM framework).
  • Independently oversee and coordinate collaborative research activities related to the research areas mentioned above.
  • Lead research activities in this area and oversee the publication relevant results in peer-reviewed journals and actively engage in dissemination efforts such as scientific conferences and workshops, stakeholder and policy events.
  • Secure external funding for these areas and those related to integrated assessment modeling.
  • Lead and coordinating specific research activities, and contribute to ongoing and future projects and related deliverables, reports, stakeholder communication and capacity building activities.

Skills, qualifications and experience

  • PhD degree combined with more than 10 years of relevant research experience in material sciences and systems analysis.
  • Extensive experience in industrial ecology, environmental footprint analysis and multi-regional input-output models.
  • Expertise related to circularity measures in the context of energy-material transitions and climate change mitigation.
  • Leadership experience in executing collaborative research projects and credible science project management experience.
  • Strong publication profile in leading journals with a competitive research citation profile.
  • Demonstrated external grant-raising competencies, also for self-initiated proposals.
  • A degree of flexibility and willingness to travel.
  • Fluency in English and excellent presentation skills.
  • IIASA offers an interdisciplinary and international workplace, and the possibility to interact with researchers of different nationalities, with strong ties to a world-wide network of research institutions engaged in environmental systems research. The successful candidate must be able to work in, and have respect for, an intercultural environment, and IIASA core values.

Appointment terms

The successful candidate should be available to take up the position as soon as possible in 2025. We offer an initial fixed-term, full-time employment contract for one year, with the possibility for extension thereafter.

Eligible applicants wishing to work part-time hours may be considered.

The place of work is IIASA in Laxenburg, near Vienna Austria.

The successful candidate will be appointed in accordance with the IIASA profiles for research careers (R3 or R4). 

 

We offer

  •  The possibility to contribute to environmental sciences for sustainability and global wellbeing.
  • Career development perspectives.
  • An international atmosphere and pleasant working environment in a historic market town surrounded by green areas.
  • An attractive salary which is exempt from income tax in Austria and negotiable, based on the qualifications, skills and experience of the selected individual but at least
    EUR 71,949.00 for senior research scholars (R3)
    or
    EUR 95,184.00 for principal research scholars (R4)

Salaries quoted are:

  • Gross per annum (subject to deductions for health insurance and/or social security).
  • Not directly comparable with other employers in Austria, due to the unique legal status and privileges granted to IIASA.
  • Subject to the principle of income aggregation (Progressionsvorbehalt in German).

Other benefits

  • Educational subsidies for children of school age enrolled in private schools in Austria.
  • A generous annual leave entitlement.
  • Relocation allowances and paid home leave for employees hired from international locations.
  • Assistance for newcomers to Austria with visa, work and residency permit applications.
  • Support finding accommodation in Austria. 

Further details here. 

About IIASA

IIASA is committed to a working environment that promotes equality, diversity, tolerance and inclusion within its workforce. This is reflected in our  IIASA core values and the IIASA Gender Equality Plan (GEP). We encourage qualified candidates from all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds to apply. In the case that candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to applicants from countries where IIASA has a  Member Organization.

Further information

For further information about this opportunity please contact:

Volker Krey, IACC Research Group Leader
or
Keywan Riahi, ECE Program Director

For general information about working at IIASA, please contact: recruitment@iiasa.ac.at

 

Applications

 

To apply for this opportunity, you will need to provide the following documents in English: 

  • A cover letter outlining your motivation for and fit to the position.
  • A detailed Curriculum Vitae.
  • The names, addresses (including e-mail), and telephone numbers of two reference givers.

     

 Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled.

Deadline for receipt of applications: until filled
APPLY

Applications

 

To apply for this opportunity, you will need to provide the following documents in English: 

  • A cover letter outlining your motivation for and fit to the position.
  • A detailed Curriculum Vitae.
  • The names, addresses (including e-mail), and telephone numbers of two reference givers.

     

 Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled.

Deadline for receipt of applications: until filled
APPLY