Postdoc in Time-Explicit Life Cycle Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies
Can carbon dioxide removal turn back the clock on climate change? And if so, when? In this postdoc, you will delve into the crucial issue of the timing of CDR's benefits, impacts, and risks.
Job Description
Large scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasing cited as a key requirement to meet net-zero emission goals in 2050 and temperature targets for 2100. Yet, CDR activities span a range of technological and biological systems, including afforestation, direct air carbon capture and storage, biogenic carbon capture and storage, biochar, enhanced weathering, direct ocean capture, all of which have different profiles of resource use, associated emissions, speed, storage security, and uncertainties.
In a world where we are also nearing critical tipping points in the carbon cycle, understanding when impacts and benefits of CDR will occur is crucial to meeting those goals. However, conventional methods of greenhouse gases accounting compress these systems into single-point metrics, such as "100-year global warming potential", which obscure critical intertemporal complexities. New metrics and frameworks are needed to evaluate when and how CDR can be effective. Will removals be there when we need them or will they only exist on paper?
If CDR is to help us meet our climate targets, we must first be sure that benefits of CDR will happen when we need them and that the risks happen when we can manage them. Therefore,this postdoc will work to explicitly elaborate the timing of impacts, benefits, and risks of different CDR options.
Key Tasks
Highly suitable candidates will:
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.
At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.
Challenge. Change. Impact!
Faculty Technology, Policy and Management
The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
Conditions of employment
Additional Information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. ir. Samantha Tanzer, s.e.tanzer@tudelft.nl either before December 12th or after January 12th (kindly understand that inquiries sent during holiday leave will not be answered).
Application procedure
Are You Interested In This Vacancy? Please Apply No Later Than 18 January 2026 Via The Application Button And Upload The Following Documents In PDF Format
CV Motivational letter Two samples of your academic writing (each < 20 pages, without the use of genAI), e.g., a recent publication or except from your thesis.
You can address your application to Dr.ir. S.E. Tanzer.
Please Note
Job Description
Large scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasing cited as a key requirement to meet net-zero emission goals in 2050 and temperature targets for 2100. Yet, CDR activities span a range of technological and biological systems, including afforestation, direct air carbon capture and storage, biogenic carbon capture and storage, biochar, enhanced weathering, direct ocean capture, all of which have different profiles of resource use, associated emissions, speed, storage security, and uncertainties.
In a world where we are also nearing critical tipping points in the carbon cycle, understanding when impacts and benefits of CDR will occur is crucial to meeting those goals. However, conventional methods of greenhouse gases accounting compress these systems into single-point metrics, such as "100-year global warming potential", which obscure critical intertemporal complexities. New metrics and frameworks are needed to evaluate when and how CDR can be effective. Will removals be there when we need them or will they only exist on paper?
If CDR is to help us meet our climate targets, we must first be sure that benefits of CDR will happen when we need them and that the risks happen when we can manage them. Therefore,this postdoc will work to explicitly elaborate the timing of impacts, benefits, and risks of different CDR options.
Key Tasks
- Mapping of intertemporal concerns of CDR activities, including emissions, removals, storage, risks, delays, and uncertainties.
- Elicitation of conditions that could cause CDR impacts to change over time, such as climate change, resource scarcity, sink saturation.
- Temporally-explicit life-cycle assessment of different CDR activities under different system configuration and future scenarios.
- Comparison with conventional LCA and MRV accounting methods.
- Development of new metrics or decision-making frameworks to account for critical intertemporal aspects identified in the research.
- Assistance with preparing and conducting education activities.
- Supervision of Master thesis students on topics revelant to your research.
- Assistance with grant preparation.
Highly suitable candidates will:
- Have a PhD in a relevant domain, e.g., ecology, climate science, environmental systems modelling, industrial ecology.
- Understand biological and geologic carbon cycles and their chemical processes.
- Have a strong grounding in life cycle assessment and an interest in methodological development.
- Be comfortable with Python or similar programming languages (e.g., for use with the Brightways LCA modelling software).
- Enjoy thinking creatively to find unconventional solutions to complex and uncertain problems.
- Have excellent command of written and spoken English.
- Are interested in communicating their results to diverse stakeholders via written, oral, and graphical means.
- Be well-organised and can work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.
At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.
Challenge. Change. Impact!
Faculty Technology, Policy and Management
The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
Conditions of employment
- Duration of contract is 2 years Temporary
- A job of 30-40 hours per week.
- Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch
- An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
- The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
- Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
- Flexible working week.
- Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
- Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
- Partially paid parental leave
- Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.
Additional Information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. ir. Samantha Tanzer, s.e.tanzer@tudelft.nl either before December 12th or after January 12th (kindly understand that inquiries sent during holiday leave will not be answered).
Application procedure
Are You Interested In This Vacancy? Please Apply No Later Than 18 January 2026 Via The Application Button And Upload The Following Documents In PDF Format
You can address your application to Dr.ir. S.E. Tanzer.
Please Note
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.