Postdoctoral Employee LCA - Mitloehner Lab
Position overview
Application Window
Open date: June 3, 2026
Next review date: Tuesday, Jun 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Monday, Sep 7, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. The incumbent will work in the CLEAR Center under the mentorship of Prof. Frank Mitloehner. The CLEAR Center is an established research Center with the goal of advancing sustainable systems and technologies for increasing productivity while reducing the environmental footprint of food production systems including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). To achieve the goal, the CLEAR Center conducts laboratory and on-farms experiments; and modeling studies for determining the best economic practices and methods for improving agriculture and livestock productivity while reducing their environmental impacts.
The main responsibilities of the postdoc will be developing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and economic models to determine the resource demands and environmental impacts associated with the production of milk and beef at a regional and national scale; and identifying applicable and best practices and methods for achieving circularity and valorizing waste and byproducts in agriculture and livestock systems while reducing their negative environment impacts. The postdoc will also have opportunities to learn and work on other ongoing projects in the Center including measuring and modeling the emissions of different gases including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from livestock farms. This may include feed production and handling, enteric fermentation, and manure management systems. The postdoc will be trained to mentor graduate and undergraduate students. The postdoc will also be expected to process, analyze, and interpret data; and prepare project reports, high quality peer-reviewed publications, and presentations. The position is for two years with renewal potential depending on the performance and the availability of funds.
Qualifications
Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Animal or Environmental Sciences, Agricultural or Environmental Engineering, or related field
Applicants must have expertise in carbon accounting principles and ISO-compliant LCA methods; and previous experience developing consequential LCA models for beef and dairy products, or related topics. Applicants will need experience using R software for statistical analysis. Applicants should have a strong background on multivariate statistics and possess the ability to conduct independent LCA studies of agricultural and livestock systems. Preferences will be given for applicants with prior experience on techno-economic analysis of animal farms; LCA software such as Simapro; and databases such as Ecoinvent. Excellent organizational skills; oral and written communication skills; and a team-oriented perspective are required
Experience with measurements and modeling of emissions from animal farms is a plus.
Application Requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter
Statement of Research (Optional)
Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.
Statement of Teaching (Optional)
- 3-5 required (contact information only)
Help contact: lllovgren@ucdavis.edu
About UC Davis
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.
- “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
- UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.
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