PhD Student Vehicle Development Circular Economy (f/m/d) - #940341

Work environment

Are you ready to help shape the future of vehicle development? At Volkswagen's Pre-Development Body System department, we work on cross-disciplinary research and development projects and manage strategic innovation topics related to the vehicle body systems. Our interdisciplinary team of experts develops the highlights of future vehicle generations, using the latest scientific methods and insights to bring them to production readiness. We collaborate with various departments within our Technical Development, our Group Innovation, our Group Brands, and numerous external research institutions. To strengthen our team, we are looking for you!

Possible Tasks within this Role

• Defining and evaluating effective R-strategies (e.g. reuse, recycle), taking into account business and technological aspects
• Integrating the "design for recycling mindset" into component and material development, especially within the body system
• Taking a holistic view of the value chain – involving raw material producers, processors, and recyclers
• Ensuring compliance with legal requirements (e.g. ELV regulation) and evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures
• Providing strategic and technical support in establishing a Circular Economy Hub and in developing circular business models
  
  

The final doctoral topic is defined together with the professor. The prerequisite for the cooperation is the confirmation of supervision as well as a confirmed delimitation of topics by the professor of a university or research institution entitled to confer a doctorate.

Qualification Requirements

• Good to very good university degree qualifying for doctoral studies in the field of engineering or natural sciences
• Good knowledge of project management is an advantage
• Curiosity about technology, a high level of comprehension and enthusiasm for sustainable topics
• Ability to independently develop research and development ideas
• Open and communicative personality with strong networking skills across all levels of hierarchy
  
  

Keywords

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), resource efficiency, circular product design, sustainable mobility, digital product passport, environmental footprint analysis, material cycles, automotive sustainability, innovative material concepts, green engineering