Researcher in Indoor Air Quality and Material Emissions

Institute for Renewable Energy

Short description of the position:

Eurac Research is looking for a chemist, environmental scientist or engineer with hands-on experience in air pollutant measurements to lead the Volatile Organic Compounds Laboratory (VOC Lab) of the "Human-centric Buildings" (HCB) team, within the Institute for Renewable Energy – Energy and Resources Efficient Building group. The position reports directly to the HCB team leader and has responsibility for the scientific activities, daily operation and development of the lab.
The VOC Lab is located at NOI Techpark in Bolzano (https://noi.bz.it/en) and operates two airtight emission test chambers (1 m³ and 6 m³) compliant with EN 16516, ISO 16000-6, ISO 16000-9 and EN 717-1, with controlled temperature, humidity and air velocity. The chambers are used to test the emissions of building materials, wood-based products and furnishings, to study the decay of airborne pollutants, and to test and calibrate IAQ sensors.
You will run the lab's emission, decay and sensor tests, from planning and chamber operation to sampling, coordination of the external analytical laboratory, and interpretation and reporting of results. You will be the main contact for industrial partners using the lab, coordinate the lab technicians, and contribute to the team's research projects on indoor air quality and health in buildings. The work combines research (Horizon Europe, Interreg, ERDF and other projects) with applied testing services for manufacturers, from established industries to developers of innovative materials.

Tasks:

• Lab management and testing (about 60% of the working time): planning and running emission, decay and sensor tests according to standards; air sampling for VOCs and aldehydes and real-time measurements; coordination of the external laboratory for chromatographic analyses and quality check of results; QA/QC procedures, maintenance and continuous improvement of the lab; scheduling of lab activities, management of purchasing and safety procedures; coordination of lab technicians.
• Research (about 25%): designing experiments, analysing data, contributing to writing scientific publications and project reports; contributing to the team's research on indoor air quality and health, including field measurement campaigns in occupied buildings.
• Industry and projects (about 15%): acting as main contact for industrial partners using the lab, defining tests and writing test reports; developing the lab's services and collaborations; contributing to research proposals; co-supervising interns; disseminating results to scientific and professional audiences.

Requirements:

• Master's degree in Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry or Science, Chemical, Environmental or Materials Engineering, or related fields.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory or field measurements of air pollutants (e.g. active sampling, gas analysers, sensors, controlled test environments), gained in research, industry, or testing and monitoring laboratories.
• Experience in working according to standard procedures and in ensuring data quality.
• Ability to write clear technical reports.
• Very good command of English, written and spoken.
• Willingness to work on site in Bolzano, as the role involves regular hands-on laboratory activity.

Advantages:

• knowledge of VOC sampling and analysis methods (e.g. ISO 16000 series, EN 16516, EN 717-1 TD-GC-MS, HPLC for aldehydes);
• emission testing standards or VOC labelling schemes;
• QA/QC or ISO/IEC 17025 environments; IAQ sensors and calibration;
• data analysis with Python;
• peer-reviewed publications;
• proposal writing or student supervision;
• Italian and/or German.

We are looking for someone who:

• can organise their own work and lab schedule, taking ownership of tests from planning to final report;
  enjoys collaborating with colleagues from different backgrounds (engineering, architecture, etc.) and with industrial partners;
• is curious and proactive in proposing improvements to methods and services.

We offer:

• The position is initially available with a fixed-term contract with the possibility to be become permanent
  Working conditions which allow professional growth and know how acquisition with carrier opportunity as applied researcher.
• The chance to work with local and international research centres, universities, and industry partners
• The opportunity to work in a young international team in a fast-growing sector
• A surrounding offering a high quality of life.
• Eurac Research has been elected among the best workplaces in Italy. https://www.greatplacetowork.it/scheda_azienda/eurac/ and offers many opportunities in combining work and family activities