Research Assistant: Hierarchical Material Intensities in Sheffield

BuildZero is a £6 million project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that will develop a detailed vision of more sustainable building practices. This five‑year project led by the University of Sheffield in partnership with the Universities of Bath, Manchester, Cardiff and Cambridge, in addition to a range of industrial collaborators, will consider options for developing methods for building without extracting new resources, eliminating waste and reducing carbon emissions from material extraction and production. It will assess the extent to which the vision for a circular economy is achievable at regional and national level, and will provide a platform for demonstrating these solutions at scale.

The built environment is a major resource consumer, produces around 60% of the UK’s waste and is responsible for approximately 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions. However, it also holds a vast stock of materials with reuse potential, making it a strong candidate for a circular economy. Working with a range of stakeholders, the consortium will co‑develop visions of sustainable building futures to shape what solutions are desired, acceptable and inclusive, while exploring the impact of these solutions to get us to a circular economy with zero carbon emissions.

The successful candidate will develop specification and product level material intensities that are representative of the UK’s buildings. They will also be an integral member of the large, multidisciplinary BuildZero project team, and will contribute to wider project tasks, events, and outputs.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Quantifying typical ranges for the material intensity, embodied carbon and reuse potential of different building products and typical construction specifications across building layers – with a particular focus on the skin, services and fit‑out.
• Analysing existing building drawings to estimate material intensities.
• Working with the wider research team to scale building‑level material quantities, embodied carbon and reuse potentials to the neighbourhood, city and national level; knowledge of Python coding here would be beneficial.
• Visualising results to clearly communicate findings to different stakeholders, including GIS.
• Working with the wider research team in preparing research papers for journal publication and associated conference papers/presentations.
• Planning a research schedule to ensure personal milestones within the project are met.
• Working in close collaboration with other members of the BuildZero project team, including effective engagement with industrial, commercial and public project stakeholders.
• Participating in, and presenting progress reports at a variety of BuildZero related team meetings and events.
• Undergoing appropriate personal and professional development.
• Undertaking other tasks associated with the research project, including planning and organising project tasks and implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Carrying out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• Essential – Have (or be in the final year of) an undergraduate degree in a relevant built environment discipline, including civil/structural engineering, architecture, architectural engineering or adjacent discipline.
• Essential – Experience of conducting material inventories, embodied carbon & whole life carbon assessments of the built environment.
• Essential – Knowledge of how to interpret building plans/sections/elevations.
• Essential – Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities.
• Essential – Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Desirable – Experience using Python or other coding languages.
• Desirable – Experience using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for data analysis and visualisation.

Further Information

• Grade: 6
• Work arrangement: Full‑time
• Duration: One year
• Direct reports: N/A

What We Offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development: access to learning and mentoring schemes integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies.
• Paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies.
• Access to menopause support in the workplace.
• Paid time off and support for fertility treatment.
• and more.

We are a Disability Confident Leader. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process. Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right.