PhD Researcher on Safe and Sustainable-by-Design Frameworks for the NWA ADD-reAM project

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PhD Researcher on Safe and Sustainable-by-Design Frameworks for Additive Manufacturing in Repair and Remanufacturing for the NWA ADD-reAM project.

What You Will Do

We are seeking an ambitious, forward-thinking PhD candidate ready to help steer the next generation of sustainable manufacturing. You will play a pivotal role in ADD-reAM (‘Additive Repair and Remanufacturing’), a cutting-edge NWA ORC-funded project that embeds repair and remanufacturing at the heart of future European industrial strategy — supporting the EU’s ambitions for circularity, resilience, and decarbonisation. The project brings together leading academic and industrial partners across Europe, including CML at Leiden University. ADD-reAM unites universities, research institutes, and industry leaders to ensure that the next generation of additive manufacturing technologies enables repair and reuse by design, strengthening the EU’s circular manufacturing vision.

In this role, you will develop and operationalise the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework specifically for additive manufacturing (AM) repair and remanufacturing, helping to shift AM beyond prototyping and custom parts into sustainable, circular production systems.

Your Work Will:

• Tailor existing SSbD frameworks and models to the particular technical and environmental challenges of AM repair and remanufacturing, establishing clear system boundaries and decision criteria that reflect the realities of metallic additive repair, polymer-based refurbishment, and hybrid manufacturing workflows.
• Push the state of the art in prospective (ex-ante) LCA and Social-LCA (S-LCA) by combining empirical industrial-scale data with modeled scale-up scenarios. You’ll address process variability, material reuse, energy-demand uncertainties, and supply-chain social impacts — crucial for projecting future performance of AM in circular settings.
• Fuse environmental, social, and safety dimensions into a unified decision-support structure using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and multi-objective optimisation, revealing robust trade-offs and Pareto-efficient strategies for sustainable AM repair choices.
• Collaborate intensively with project partners to validate your framework on real-world industrial case studies — delivering open-source workflow tools, harmonised datasets, and transparent pipelines that guide safe, socially responsible deployment of AM in circular value chains.

Your research will cut across industrial ecology, sustainability analytics, and decision science, and will directly contribute to shaping Europe’s transition toward circular, resilient manufacturing systems. The expected start date is February 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

Where You Will Work

Leiden University is situated between Amsterdam (36 km) and The Hague (15 km) and was founded in 1575, making it the oldest university in the Netherlands. It houses around 35,000 students originating from 112 nationalities, facilitated by approximately 8,000 staff. 

The Institute of Environmental Science (CML) at Leiden University offers a vibrant and supportive community of scientists committed to the challenges of sustainability. CML distinguishes itself for its attention to professional development in coordination with the interests of its scientists. As such, there are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, expand your knowledge, collaborate across disciplines, and experiment in a friendly environment fully embodying academic freedom across all career levels.   

The core focus of CML is to perform research and education in the interdisciplinary field of Environmental Sciences. CML focuses on the sustainable use of natural resources and preservation of natural capital and biodiversity. CML has a culture of mutual support and collaboration between researchers. CML has two Departments: Industrial Ecology (CML-IE) and Environmental Biology (CML-EB). Presently, about 150 fte (including postdocs and PhDs) are employed at CML. CML further collaborates with TU Delft and Erasmus University in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability (LDE-CfS), and with the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre. 

The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) is positioned in the Faculty of Sciences. The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expanding fundamental knowledge by curiosity and looking beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science and to make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future. The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organized in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor’s and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 2.800 staff and almost 6000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together. 

Information about CML can be found at  www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/environmental-sciences. 

What You Bring

Essential:

• A Master’s degree in Industrial Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Sustainability Science, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Knowledge of additive manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Sustainability Assessment, or related environmental modelling fields.
• Strong analytical and programming skills (e.g. Python, R, MATLAB) and proficiency in English.
• Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary environment and to engage with both academic and industrial partners.

Desirable:

• Experience with LCA, uncertainty/sensitivity analysis.
• Familiarity with MCDA, optimisation, or decision support tools.
• Interest in circular economy strategies, sustainable manufacturing, or materials innovation.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with a proactive and collaborative attitude.

What We Offer

We offer an initial one-year contract, with an option to extend for up to 3 years based on performance, following the pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Salary ranges from € 3.059- gross per month in the first year to € 3.881 gross per month in the fourth year based on a full-time position.

At our institution, we believe in flexibility and work-life balance! With a full-time position (38 hours per week), you are entitled to 232 vacation hours per year, which is equivalent to 30.5 vacation days (based on a 38-hour work week). If you value flexibility, you have the freedom to adjust your working hours. For example, you could choose to work 40 hours per week, earning extra compensation hours. Alternatively, if you prefer a shorter work week, you can work 36 hours per week by using some of your vacation days to create more time for yourself. You’ll work closely with your supervisor to tailor your schedule in a way that suits both your’s and the team’s needs.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Holiday allowance (8%) and an end-of-year bonus (8.3%)
• An attractive pension scheme with ABP, ensuring your financial well-being both now and in the future
• Extensive options for secondary employment conditions: You can explore options such as sabbaticals, paid parental leave, and the individual choices model, which allows you to exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits like an advantageous sports subscription, bicycle scheme, and childcare options
• Hybrid working options: If your role allows, you can enjoy the flexibility of working from home within the Netherlands
• Home-working allowance: You will receive a home-working allowance (for both workdays and internet), and the university will provide you with a laptop and support for creating a comfortable home office
• PhD student support: As a PhD student, you will be part of the Graduate School of Science, which offers a variety of training courses at three levels: professional courses, skills training, and personal effectiveness

We are committed to offering a flexible, supportive, and rewarding work environment, designed to help you grow both professionally and personally. For more information about the working conditions, please visit: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

What We Find Important

At the Faculty of Science, we value inclusiveness and strive for a diverse community with equal opportunities for all. We give full support to our staff in achieving their potential to become independent academic researchers and teachers. For more information about our policy on diversity and equality please go to the diversity page on our website. Female researchers are also welcome to join the Researchers In Science for Equality network of the Faculty of Science (rise.nu).

Want To Apply Or Find Out More?

Please submit your application via the online recruitment system, via the blue button at the top or bottom of this page. Applications received via e-mail will not be taken into consideration.  

Enquiries can be made to dr. Stefano Cucurachi (s.cucurachi@cml.leidenuniv.nl)

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions

• Applications should include:
• A motivation letter (max. 2 pages) explaining your interest and fit for the position.
• A CV (including relevant coursework, publications, and technical skills).
• Names and contact details of two referees.
• Only applications received before the 29th November 2025 will be considered.
• The 1st round of interviews will take place on the 10th of December 2025.
• The 2nd round of interviews will take place on the 16th of December 2025.