Postdoctoral Researcher, Knowledge Security & Energy

University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

8% holiday allowance

8.3% year-end allowance

30% ruling tax arrangement

Interdisciplinary climate institute at

Job summary

University of Amsterdam is seeking an interdisciplinary researcher to examine knowledge security in energy transition technologies and related domains. You will work across legal, political, and science-and-technology perspectives within the KNOWSEC-NL consortium.

You will design qualitative studies, facilitate group model building, and contribute to policy-relevant outputs, conferences, and reports while collaborating with multiple faculties and partners.

Qualifications

• PhD completed or near completed in a field such as international/european law, political science, international relations, systems science, science and technology studies, public administration or related.
• Strong interest in geopolitics of science and technology and engagement with energy transition technologies.
• Experience with qualitative or participatory research methods (interviews, workshops, expert elicitation, stakeholder engagement).
• Publication record or clear publication potential appropriate to career stage.
• Excellent written and spoken English; ability to communicate with scientists, policymakers and security professionals.
• Ability to work in a large, interdisciplinary and multi‑institutional team and independently.

Responsibilities

• Assess knowledge security measures through a scoping review of literature and stakeholder engagement.
• Design and facilitate group model building sessions and map feedback loops and trade-offs.
• Publish in international journals and present at conferences; integrate results into normative balancing framework.
• Develop interdisciplinary analytical perspectives and co-author a report on knowledge security.
• Build links with similar programmes abroad and help organize an international knowledge security conference.
• Participate in policy fora in The Netherlands and Brussels and contribute to policy briefs.
• Participate in summer and winter schools for early‑career researchers; potential short research secondment.

Skills

Geopolitics of science & technology

Qualitative/participatory methods

English proficiency

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Independent work

Education

PhD (completed or near completed) in related field

Tools

Group model building

System dynamics

Causal loop diagramming

Job description

University of Amsterdam is seeking an interdisciplinary researcher to examine knowledge security in energy transition technologies and related domains. You will work across legal, political, and science-and-technology perspectives within the KNOWSEC-NL consortium.

You will design qualitative studies, facilitate group model building, and contribute to policy-relevant outputs, conferences, and reports while collaborating with multiple faculties and partners.