Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Analyst (full-time, m/f/d)

Planet A is a leading early-stage tech VC backing European founders tackling the world’s greatest systemic challenges. We take a scientific approach to identify breakthrough solutions the world can’t afford to ignore across energy, resource mastery, neo-manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. Investments include INERATEC, Makersite, C1, HIVED, traceless materials and 44.01. As a small team with flat hierarchies, we live by our core values: excellency, transparency, trust, humbleness, conviction, and respect.

The Role

You will join our Impact Team as an LCA expert, conducting independent environmental impact assessments of investment opportunities. You will be working closely with our Investment Team, shaping investment decisions and supporting our portfolio companies. You will report to the Head of Impact and work closely with our Senior Scientist.

What makes this role unique: Your LCA findings directly shape our investment decisions and portfolio strategy. Your scientific rigor determines which deep-tech solutions we back and how we support them as they scale. You will sit in due diligence calls and founder meetings with Europe's most ambitious deep-tech teams, gaining direct access to the real-world data that makes your impact work richer and more grounded.

Tasks

LCA & Impact Assessment

• Independently scope, conduct, and interpret (consequential) Life Cycle Assessments of products and services across sectors, as part of the deal evaluation process
• Develop and apply scientific impact assessments and identify material risks in investment opportunities
• Gather, validate, and synthesize data from scientific sources, commercial databases, startups, and technical teams
• Work with the science and investment team to interpret findings and inform investment decisions

Methodology & Research

• Contribute to the evolution of Planet A's impact assessment methodology
• Apply systems thinking to understand how solutions integrate within broader value chains, infrastructure, and market dynamics
• Conduct environmental research to validate and challenge our investment theses
• Maintain relationships with impact experts in the VC ecosystem and scientific networks

Portfolio Support

• Partner with portfolio companies on validating environmental claims and improving impact as they scale
• Support founders in understanding how their solutions perform within systemic constraints
• Contribute to impact narratives and reporting (reports, presentations, media)

Requirements

Must-Have:

• Degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Ecology, or Natural Sciences with strong quantitative performance (or an equivalent professional certification).
• 2+ years of applied LCA experience in the industry, consultancy, or corporate R&D. You've independently scoped and conducted LCAs.
• Mastery of LCA software (OpenLCA, SimaPro, GaBi, or equivalent). You can build models, troubleshoot data gaps, and validate results without support.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills, including complex formulas, data manipulation.
• Comfortable using AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, or similar) to augment your work: research synthesis, data gathering, model setup, sensitivity analysis, documentation.
• Willingness to learn new tools independently

Strongly Preferred:

• Expertise in consequential LCA methods (market effects, displacement, attributional vs. consequential approaches)
• Knowledge of biodiversity assessment, criticality assessment or water stress impact
• Experience working with early-stage / scale-up technical teams

Benefits

• You will be an integral part of a top tier venture capital firm - the first in Europe with a scientific approach to impact.
• You join a dynamic environment that is driven by impact and highly motivated to make a change for the better.
• While we’d love for you to be based in Berlin since we have our beautiful office in Berlin Mitte, remote work within Europe is absolutely possible.
• You have access to an annual personal development as well as travel and conference budget.
• You participate in our monthly co-working days - collaborate side by side with the entire team; and attend our bi-annual team offsites.

Planet A is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and encourage people of all ethnic & racial origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions & ideologies, socio-economic backgrounds, educational backgrounds, ages, and individuals of all abilities to apply.