PhD Student – Department of Green Chemistry and Technology

Last application date Sep 15, 2025 00:00

Department LA24 – Department of Green Chemistry and Technology

Contract Limited duration

Degree Master’s in environmental engineering, bioscience engineering, chemical engineering, marine science, environmental science, environmental technology, or equivalent (by the starting date of the project).

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

Job description

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For the (faculty/department/research group) we are looking for a m/f/x

PhD – Integrated Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Offshore Wind Farms.

Doctoral fellow

YOUR JOB

We welcome applications for a full-time PhD position within the Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN) research group of the Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University (UGent). The PhD student will contribute to the Horizon Europe project COMPASS (Comprehensive Offshore Management Platform for Assessing Sustainability) and the Belgian project DECOMPASS (Decommissioning Compass for Offshore Wind), in close collaboration with leading national and international partners.

Project context:

COMPASS, coordinated by France Energies Marines, aims to develop a holistic decision-support platform for assessing the cumulative environmental, economic, and social sustainability of offshore wind farms (OWFs) across their full lifecycle. The platform will integrate life cycle assessment (LCA), marine ecosystem impact models, and a digital twin environment, and will be validated across multiple European case studies representing different offshore wind technologies.

DECOMPASS, coordinated by POM West-Vlaanderen, complements COMPASS by focusing on the end-of-life phase of OWFs. It will generate knowledge and tools for sustainable decommissioning strategies, contributing to innovation and economic growth while strengthening Belgium’s international leadership in the offshore wind domain.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

You will contribute to key sustainability assessment and ecosystem services activities in both projects, including:

• Conducting environmental LCA of offshore wind farms, considering the entire value chain, from manufacturing and installation to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning, across different OWF designs (e.g., fixed-bottom, floating, nature-inclusive).
• Identifying, selecting, and applying appropriate impact indicators and characterization models, in line with European sustainability standards and legislative frameworks.
• Collecting and harmonizing data from case studies and databases (e.g., ecoinvent, OBIS, WoRMS) to support robust, scenario-based environmental modelling, including prospective LCAs.
• Exploring the integration of LCA results with marine ecosystem functioning and biodiversity indicators to develop multi-scope environmental assessment frameworks.
• Collaborating on the parameterization of decommissioning scenarios and the mapping of material flows within the DECOMPASS project, with a focus on circularity and recovery potential.
• Contributing to workshops, stakeholder consultations, and communication activities, including the development of decision-support tools for public and private stakeholders.

Job profile

• You hold a master’s degree in environmental engineering, bioscience engineering, chemical engineering, environmental science, environmental technology, marine science, or equivalent.
• You have a strong interest in scientific research and aim to pursue a doctoral degree.
• You have affinity with sustainability analysis methods, particularly life cycle assessment and/or ecosystem services assessment, and have a critical and analytical mindset.
• You are comfortable working with complex datasets, scenario modelling, and interdisciplinary methods.
• You possess excellent academic writing and presentation skills, and a very good command of English (written and spoken).
• You live in Belgium or are willing to relocate here for the duration of the appointment.

Additional assets:

• Experience with LCA software (e.g., openLCA, SimaPro, Brightway) and environmental databases (e.g., ecoinvent).
• Familiarity with (marine) ecosystem modelling, or (offshore) renewable energy systems.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which – after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start within the last quarter of 2025 (to be agreed upon).
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

How to apply

Please apply no later than 15 September 2025 by sending the following documents to Dr. Erasmo Cadena Martinez ([email protected]):

• Motivation letter;
• Curriculum Vitae (CV);
• Copy of your highest degree;
• Summary of academic records.

The subject of your email should be: “Application PhD COMPASS + your family name”