Postdoctoral Researcher in Industrial Ecology, Behavioural Change, and Sustainable Consumption National Institute for Environmental Studies in Japan

National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, is hiring a Postdoctoral Researcher (Research Associate) in the area of industrial ecology, behavioural change, and sustainable consumption.

The project focuses on the environmental implications of behavioural change and how shifts in everyday domains such as food, mobility, housing, leisure, and consumer goods can contribute to climate, circular economy, and biodiversity goals at the same time. The successful candidate will work on research questions around prioritising behavioural change options and policy interventions, extending industrial ecology methods to dynamically model changes in consumption and lifestyles, and exploring future scenarios under deep uncertainty.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. or be close to completion in a relevant field. Experience with environmentally extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) and/or life cycle assessment (LCA) is specifically requested, along with programming and data analysis skills for large-scale statistical datasets. A strong interest in pro-environmental behaviour, sustainable consumption, and sustainability transitions is also highlighted.

The position offers research with strong policy relevance, access to environmentally extended input-output databases and high-performance computing resources, and a multidisciplinary team with expertise in environmental footprint analysis, behavioural science, and social simulation. Institutional funding is mentioned for data collection and engagement with the international research community.

The appointment is for a maximum of 4.5 years, with an initial contract through March 2027 and possible extensions. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and early applications are encouraged by the end of July.

For full details and application instructions, use the provided application link. Informal questions can be directed to the post author, Ryu Koide, Senior Researcher at NIES.