Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Scientist

England, United Kingdom

Professional seated at a conference table with laptops and a presentation screen in a modern office setting

Job ID:: R-1173420
Date posted:: 01/19/2026
Job Type:: Full time
Job Category:: Research & Development

Unilever is seekinganLCAscientistwho hasa passion for environmental sustainability to join a team of experts in our Safety,Environmentaland RegulatoryScience(SERS).This is an exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to use their scientificexpertiseto make a significant positive impact, whilst working in a supportive,team-based environment.Thispivotalrole will enable you to work on tackling some of the key global environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change, packagingwasteand biodiversity loss.This is a science role. It is not an environmental,socialand corporate governance (ESG) or Corporate social responsibility (CSR) role.

JOB PURPOSE

As an LCAscientistin Unilever, you will work with colleagues from across the globe to provide scientific support to our business groups (Foods, Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care). You will apply life cycle thinking andrelatedapproaches to better understand the environmental impactsandimprovement opportunities related to product portfolios, supplychainsand innovations.

You willhave theopportunity toengage incollaborative research with leading universities, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and industrial groups around the world.Throughpartnerships,you will be abletohelpadvancelife cycle assessment and related approaches. Publication and presentation of research at international conferences will be encouraged, as well as other opportunities for technical advocacy.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Environmental sustainability assessment (e.g. LCA, Sustainable by design) of products, new materials, technologies, and business models. This includes performing LCAsusingsoftware (e.g.SimaPro,GaBi,andBrightway), interpreting the results and preparing communications for internal and external audiences.

Application of computational approachessuch as Python, R, MATLAB to enablecutting-edgeapproaches to be applied in LCA.

Development of new scientific approaches:deliver new scientific methodsrelated to life cycle assessment(e.g.in the areas ofspatial and prospectiveimpact assessment),including writing reports and publications.

External engagementwith universities, research groups, tradeassociationsand suppliers.

ALL ABOUT YOU

You’llneed to be able to work effectively and with impact in cross-disciplinary teams and in multi-cultural environments and be flexible and willing to adapt within a fast-changing business environment.

We would expect the successful candidate to have:

A relevantMastersdegree or PhD, ideally with several years of industrial/ consulting/ post-doctoralexperience using LCA.

Strong knowledge and experience in LCA modelling, usingbothsoftwareand coding.

Strong experience in thedevelopment andapplicationof Life Cycle Impact Assessmentand/orfootprintingmethodologies and associated standards, protocols,anddatabases.

Ability to communicate complex scientific information and rationales on environmental sustainability to individuals from other disciplines or from non-technical backgrounds as well as via publications.

Ability toemploy a strategic and growth mindset.Proventrack recordofleading / working as part of a team. Willingness to explore and learnnew approachesand to support others in doing so.

If you have the following skills,that’sa bonus but not essential:

Broader sustainabilityexpertisein any of the following areas: bio-based systems, agriculture, green chemistry, circular economy, industrial ecology.

Experience of employing approaches to assess variability and uncertainty in impact assessments.

Prospective modelling ideally with a focus onex-ante LCAand/or widersustainable consumptionscenarios.

Experienceof developing/employing data,methodsand tools for spatially resolvedimpact assessment e.g. GIS,InVEST,Land ChangeModelling.

Experience of using Input/Output (I/O)orhybrid I/O analysis and related methods.

LOCATION

ColworthScience Park is a vibrant scientific ecosystem with around 800 employees (270from Unilever) based on site from over 30 nationalities, with 88 PhDs, 8 Professors(2 in Unilever), a large community ofapprentices(8 in Unilever).

On site there are various facilities including a restaurant, cafe, anurseryand a gym. There are many social and recreational activities to take part in such as going for a lunchtime walk or run in the beautiful surrounding countryside, and netball team to name just a few. London, with all its attractions, is a short 40-minute train ride from Bedford.

ABOUT SERS
We want consumers to be confident that our products are safe for them and their families, and better for the environment. The scientists in Unilever’s Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS) group play a key role in ensuring that our products are safe, and our business is environmentally sustainable. SERS’s world-class reputation for safety and sustainability science plays a key role in Unilever achieving its purpose, by working across the business to build safety and environmental sustainability into everything we do; find out how at SERS.unilever.com.

NOTES

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’.

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever-changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience.

To find out more, including more information about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here.

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How is Unilever tackling this?

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What can I do?

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Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!

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