Job Description

We are seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant to join the Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab at the Department of Engineering Science (central Oxford). The post is funded by Innovate UK and is a 24-month fixed-term contract from 1 November 2025 with the possibility of an extension.

The Research Assistant will join a consortium of industry and academic partners as part of an ambitious project to increase medical device sustainability and circular economy, focused on remanufacturing of injection devices.

You will be responsible for the following tasks:
1. Conducting a detailed stakeholder analysis of groups such as patients, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical companies that are involved in the return, reuse, and remanufacturing of injection devices.
2. Exploring the underlying drivers and barriers that influence stakeholder behaviour and attitudes to return, reuse and remanufacturing of injection devices.
3. Co-designing solutions for the return, reuse and remanufacturing of injection devices that embed Design for Behaviour Change principles and to evaluate the stakeholder adoption potential of these solutions.
4. Developing design, policy and regulatory recommendations for the effective adoption of these solutions.

You should possess a relevant PhD/DPhil (e.g. in Design, Business, Engineering or a related discipline) and sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to work within the established research project (including circular economy principles/circular economy design, design for behaviour change, co-design/participatory design, and conducting user research). You should be enthusiastic to learn and work independently and as part of a larger team working on the transition to the circular economy, and have the curiosity and motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous and ambitious academic inquiry.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Prof. Lucia Corsini (email: lucia.corsini@eng.ox.ac.uk)

For more information about working at the Department, see
www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/

Only online applications received before midday on

24 October 2025

can be considered. You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, including a brief statement of research interests (describing how past experience and future plans fit with the advertised position), CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application. If you are invited to interview, you will be asked to deliver a short research presentation.

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

Additional actions

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Circular Economy, design for behaviour change, sustainable design, medical devices