Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Design for the Circular Economy

We are seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant to join the
Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab at the Department of Engineering
Science (central Oxford). The post is funded by UKRI and is fixed-term to 29
June 2028 with the possibility of an extension.





The Research Assistant will join the Circular Electrical and Electronics
Programme, which was established in 2024 and is funded by Dr Lucia Corsini’s
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (£1.56m), on “Tackling Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment” in order to develop systems and engineering design
solutions to enable a Circular Economy for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(EEE).





We are supported by over 24 national and international partners that represent
stakeholders from across the EEE value chain, including brands, producers,
retailers, waste management services, compliances schemes, trade associates,
local authority and policy makers, technology and waste tracking companies,
waste non-profit organisations and eco-design consultancies.





Together, we seek to enable a low-carbon Circular Economy for EEE in the UK
that reduces the mining of rare, expensive and critical minerals. The long-
term vision is to make the UK the first country in the world to eliminate WEEE
through effective reduce, reuse, repair, remanufacturing, recycling and
recovery of EEE.





You will be responsible for identifying the full-lifecycle systems barriers,
enablers and leverage points to transition to a low carbon, Circular Economy
for EEE; identifying, developing and evaluating novel circular product-service
systems and related circular business models for EEE, that leverage emerging
technologies and new behavioural insights; understanding how to mainstream
behaviours around reduce, reuse, repair and recycling of EEE and to raise
awareness and improve consumer access to circular economy solutions through
public engagement and citizen science.





You should possess a relevant PhD/DPhil (e.g. in Design, Business, Engineering
or a related discipline) and sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline
to work within the established research programme (including circular economy
principles/circular economy design, product-service systems and (circular)
business models, participatory design approaches and conducting user
research). You should be enthusiastic to learn and work independently and as
part of a larger team working on the transition to the circular economy, and
have the curiosity and



motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous and
ambitious academic inquiry.





Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Lucia Corsini (email:
lucia.corsini@eng.ox.ac.uk)





For more information about working at the Department, see



www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/





Only online applications received before midday on 7th October 2024 can be
considered. You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting
statement, including a brief statement of research interests (describing how
past experience and future plans fit with the advertised position), CV and the
details of two referees as part of your online application. If you are invited
to interview, you will be asked to deliver a short research presentation.





The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment
to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.



# Additional actions



Circular Economy, design, business models, product-service systems,
sustainable design