PhD student in User Behaviour in Life Cycle Assessment of Appliances

Publiceringsdatum: 2025-07-08

Nu har du chansen att börja jobba som doktorand hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB. Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB söker någon som vill arbeta heltid under tills vidare. Kanske är det du? För detta jobb är Göteborg den angivna tjänsteorten.

Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB behöver fler anställda som stödjer arbetet inom doktorand. Kolla in deras lediga tjänst för att se om du har vad som krävs. Har du vad som krävs för att arbeta som doktorand hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB? Ansök innan söndag den sjuttonde augusti 2025 och ta reda på det!

Jobbannons

Join us for an exciting and excellent PhD journey! 

Everyday user behaviour may affect the environmental performance of household appliances, yet it is often overlooked in environmental assessments that inform the development of products, services and regulations. This research explores how real-world user behavior can be more effectively integrated into life cycle assessments to support designers, manufacturers and policymakers in enabling more sustainable user practices across product acquisition, use and end-of-life phases.

About us 

The position is located at the Division of Environmental Systems Analysis. We conduct research to find more sustainable technology solutions and ways to transform technological systems to meet the environmental and resource constraints faced by society. Our work is challenge-driven with a systems-based approach and requires interdisciplinary efforts, which is reflected in our team's composition spanning engineering, natural and social sciences. It is a dynamic and inclusive research environment with friendly atmosphere and cutting-edge research and education in multiple areas.

About the research project  

In collaboration with manufacturers, a team of researchers in sustainable design, product development and environmental assessment will conduct case studies to integrate user behaviour into the early design of dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators and ovens. Supervised by an interdisciplinary team, the PhD will study diverse behaviours across the life phases of dishwashers and user groups using LCA, contribute to the evaluation of design interventions and advance methods to integrate user behaviour into LCA and design practices.

What you will do: 

• Pursue doctoral studies leading to a PhD degree
• Conduct LCAs of household appliances integrating user behavior
• Contribute to development of LCA and design practice methods
• Collaborate with project partners
• Write research articles and other publications
• Present research in academic and industry conferences
• Complete coursework equivalent to one full year of studies
• Contribute to teaching at the division of Environmental Systems Analysis

The following requirements are mandatory: 

• To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a Master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits in industrial ecology, environmental engineering or similar* 
• Master-level course in life cycle assessment
• Good skills in quantitative modelling and analysis
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English 

The following experiences will strengthen your application: 

• Master thesis involving life cycle assessment
• Master course in circular economy
• Master course in product design and development
• Speaking and writing Swedish
• Experience from multi- and transdisciplinary work

Contract terms and what we offer: 

• The PhD positions are fully funded from start. 
• As a PhD student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees. 
• The position is limited to four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position to five years. 
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date, otherwise the admission may be withdrawn. 
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
• A starting salary of 34,550 SEK per month (valid from May 25, 2025). 
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg. 

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities. 

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in. 

Discover more 

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.  

Application procedure 

The application should be written in English be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files. 

CV 

Personal letter 

• A brief introduction about yourself. 
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position. 

Bachelor’s and, if available, master’s thesis together with the transcripts. 

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.  

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview. 

We welcome your application no later than August 17, 2025

For questions, please contact:  

For questions about the research project, contact Maria Ljunggren, maria.ljunggren@chalmers.se

For questions about the recruitment process, contact Helene Ahlborg, helene.ahlborg@chalmers.se

We look forward to your application! 

• ** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***  

 Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. 

Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.