Your mission :
Within the SWEET EDGE project (enabling decentralized renewable generation in the Swiss cities, midlands, and the alps), we are offering an 80-100% post-doc/senior researcher position in the field of governance of the energy transition at the Laboratory for Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems (HERUS), ENAC, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The HERUS Laboratory engages itself in the transition of urban systems towards sustainability. The future post-doc will build on and further develop the area of governance of the energy transition, as a key component of transitions towards sustainable urban systems.
Main duties and responsibilities include :
- Understand the social-actor networks fostering or hindering the adoption of renewable energy-related technologies in the cities and alps.
- Understand the policy landscape and political institutions in Swiss energy system
- Analyze and compare the governance structures related to adoption of energy-related technologies
- Support PhD students and MSc students in the area of qualitative social science, e.g., workshop and interview design.
- Teaching in master course related to the energy transition
Your profile :
- An excellent PhD degree, preferably in Social Sciences or Geography
- A strong methodological background in qualitative social science, in particular governance and social network theory
- Knowledge and some experience in transdisciplinary research
- Knowledge of quantitative social network methods
- Knowledge of the energy sector and interest in the Swiss energy system
- Interest in transition studies
- Strong team spirit, social skills, independence and a high level of motivation for academic research work motivated by relevant practical problems
- Excellent communication and project management skills for collaborating within the EDGE consortium and the local stakeholders in the energy sector
- Proficiency in English is required, French knowledge is expected, German knowledge is of advantage