Senior Researcher - Circular Economy Metrics & Assessment

Who we are:

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is a leading Research and Technology Organisation providing a portfolio of operations research, training, and consultancy services to Industry across the following four thematic pillars: Digitisation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Design for Manufacturing, and Robotics and Automation. As a leading manufacturing Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) with labs and industrial pilot lines in Dublin and Mullingar, IMR works with leading global and indigenous brands to demystify and derisk new and emerging technologies and to deliver high-impact collaborative research and services to enable advanced manufacturing for a broad range of clients across Ireland’s manufacturing network.

What IMR offers:

• An opportunity to contribute to the national economic growth agenda
• A competitive salary and pension
• A friendly and flexible working environment with State-of-the-art Innovation Centres
• Lots of diversity in terms of people, technology, projects and ideas
• The opportunity to join a dynamic and committed team
• Interaction with a diverse range of industrial clients and state partners
• 5 weeks holidays

The Role:

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is seeking a Senior Researcher - Circular Economy Metrics & Assessment on a 23-month contract. The Senior Researcher - Circular Economy Metrics & Assessment will work collaboratively to deliver impact assessment and identify circular implementation opportunities for pioneering members of our cross-sectoral industry-led public-private partnership CIRCULÉIRE. The role will also support circularity metrics innovation across our growing circular economy portfolio (e.g. SymbioBeer, CircThread, AI4CE, CircShift) as well as support delivery of IMR’s circularity action plan (CEAP) service offering with industry clients.

Reporting to the CE Metrics & Assessment Lead, the successful candidate will utilise their technical understanding of environmental impact assessment and the role of metrics and business case development to aide investment and implementation of circular practices across multiple sectors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing environmental impact assessments to track impact reduction from implementing circular strategies, using methods ranging from LCA, Scope 3 hotspot analysis and the GHG Protocol to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Product and Organisational Environmental Footprints (PEF/OEF) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA).
• Delivering circular economy performance measurement establishing baselines, setting targets and tracking circular implementation and performance over time (monitoring and verification).
• Supporting the technical delivery of circular registers of opportunities and impactful circular economy action plans translating metrics into prioritised roadmaps and preparing clear and compelling reports, client-facing meetings, workshops and site visits which include presentations of analyses and recommendations for clients including business cases for circular interventions.
• Supporting data collection, integration and quality assessment across client systems (e.g. ERP, procurement and waste contractor data) and supply chains, including supplier engagement for product-level data. Ensuring methodologies and assumptions are documented to an audit-ready standard.
• Tracking and contributing to the evolving circular metrics landscape, from macro-level national indicators (circular material use rate, MFA, domestic material consumption) to micro-level company, product and supply-chain indicators. This includes their relationship to environmental and sustainability certification and accreditation schemes such as ISO 14001, EcoVadis, Cradle to Cradle and OEKO-TEX STeP.
• Monitoring and interpreting the metrics, indicators and data requirements within evolving circular economy regulation and reporting frameworks (e.g. CSRD/ESRS; ESPR & DPP; PPWR; EPR reporting data and circularity targets and indicators emerging from the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in an Environmental, Business, Engineering or other relevant field. Master’s degree or PhD desirable.
• Minimum 3 - 5years' professional experience in Life Cycle Assessment, including application to circular economy interventions (e.g. comparing linear and circular product systems, or reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling scenarios).
• Demonstrable experience in extensive quantitative work, data analysis and reporting, including working with incomplete or variable-quality client and supply-chain data.
• Demonstrated proficiency in LCA and environmental assessment software, such as openLCA, SimaPro, GaBi (now Sphera LCA for Experts), One Click LCA and e!Sankey.
• Proficiency with LCA databases (e.g. ecoinvent, Environmental Footprint (EF) datasets, Idemat) and in-depth knowledge of database management.
• Expert understanding of LCA standards and guidelines (e.g. ISO 14040/44, ISO 14067, ISO 14025/EN 15804 for EPDs, PEF/OEF methods) and user-centric impact assessment (e.g. Gold Standard for the Global Goals).
• Working knowledge of circularity measurement frameworks and methods (e.g. ISO 59020, WBCSD CTI, MCI, Material Flow Analysis).
• Working knowledge of the metrics and data requirements within EU circular economy and sustainability reporting regulation (e.g. CSRD/ESRS E5, ESPR).
• Proficiency in working on multiple projects at a time, and prioritising to meet deadlines.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with the ability to communicate technical findings clearly to non-specialist audiences in reports, presentations and workshops.
• Works independently and on schedule, and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Attention to detail and quality, including documenting methods and assumptions to an audit-ready standard.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing standards, methodologies and regulatory requirements.

Location:

Candidates will be required to be resident in Ireland. IMR offices are situated in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin and Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. This role will be based in our Rathcoole office. We offer a hybrid working model with onsite presence in the office required at least one day per week. Travel between offices and client sites will be required from time to time.

Salary & Benefits:  

This position will command a package consisting of basic salary (€47,273 - €49,890 depending on qualifications and experience), employer pension contribution and 5 weeks holidays.

Closing Date:

All applicants must include an up-to-date version of their CV with their application. Electronic applicants only via LinkedIn or to careers@imr.ie

Closing date for receipt of all applications is noon Friday, 6th November 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive sufficient applications. Early application is encouraged.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 16th November 2026.

IMR is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We actively promote equity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. We do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We strive to ensure our recruitment processes are fair, accessible, and free from bias.