The Materials Life Cycle Analysis Group within the Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis Division at Argonne National Laboratory is seeking qualified applicants for a Post-Doctoral Researcher position, conducting life cycle analysis (LCA) of bioenergy and agricultural systems. A successful candidate will assess the environmental impacts of biofuel feedstock production systems and agriculture systems by developing new datasets and applying models to provide rigorous and objective results to support decarbonization of transportation and agricultural sectors.

The candidate will work on projects where the links between the decarbonization of U.S. agriculture and the production of low-carbon intensity (CI) feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts are evaluated. Current project opportunities include i) analyzing carbon intensity and other environmental effects such as water consumption and water stress of production, harvest, and preprocessing of crop, woody, and residue biomass for bioenergy production; ii) process modeling to quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) effects and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with current and emerging farming practices/technologies for feedstock production, including primary and cover crops, as well as short-rotation woody biomass, iii) modeling and analysis of SOC effects and GHG emissions of existing management practices for crop residues and forest residues and SOC and GHG impacts of additional residue harvest for bioenergy production, and iv) developing detailed strategies in the decarbonization of agricultural systems with the consideration of GHG reduction potential, practice/technology maturity, and geographic specification. These projects involve collaborations with the scientists/researchers from universities, other national laboratory partners, and industrial partners and commutations with sponsors and stakeholders through presentations, journal articles, and reports. The candidate may also have the opportunity to work on projects jointly supported by commodity crop organizations. 

The Materials Life Cycle Analysis Group of the Systems Assessment Center in the Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis Division at Argonne National Laboratory supports DOE and other sponsors to assess the energy and environmental outcomes associated with fuels, products, and integrated systems in order to guide R&D efforts, identify improvement opportunities, and to create new approaches for LCA/sustainability analysis to address emerging issues related to biofuels and agriculture. The Systems Assessment Center continues a 30-year history of leadership in the field of LCA. Postdoctoral Researchers will join project teams including experts in a variety of topics relevant to their work and will regularly collaborate with experts from Argonne as well as in industry and at other national laboratories. The Systems Assessment Center develops and maintains the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model, which is widely used by government, industry, and academic stakeholders to provide objective and rigorous results (see greet.es.anl.gov). Results from the Postdoctoral Researchers’ work may be incorporated in annual GREET updates.

Position Requirements

• Ph.D. degree in agronomy, soil science, forest carbon management, environmental science, or other related fields.

• Expertise in topics related to SOC sequestration and GHG emissions in crop production, woody biomass production, and agroecosystems.

• Skilled written and verbal communicator, including the ability to present complex information at all levels of the organization.

• A successful candidate must have the ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Knowledge and experience in running process-based models for agroecosystems (e.g., CENTURY, DayCent, and/or DNDC).

• Experience in data-driven environmental analysis and ability to identify emerging topics and data sources and engage experts to conduct research.

• Familiarity with various farming practices, crop/forest residue management, and data/information available from published literature.

• Experience with programming software/languages preferred, e.g., Excel VBA scripting, R, Python, or ArcGIS (or related software).

• Familiarity of LCA models such as the GREET model (greet.es.anl.gov) is a plus.

• Problem-solving, quantitative, and critical thinking skills in energy systems and relevant issues.; intellectual curiosity. Able to structure and formulate solutions to complex problems.

• Motivated and oriented with the ability to work independently and in close collaboration with team members.

Job Family

Job Profile

Worker Type

Time Type

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. In support of this commitment, Argonne encourages minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply for employment. Argonne considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.  

All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis.  Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements.  Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

Please note that all Argonne employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. All successful applicants will be required to provide their COVID-19 vaccination verification as a condition of employment, subject to limited legally recognized exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination.