The research group Sustainability Transition Policy works at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg within the Faculty of Law, Business, and Economics. Our group conducts problem-oriented, interdisciplinary research on policies and strategies for the transition to climate neutrality in Germany, Europe, and globally.

• Regular promotion to the next level and increase in salary pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement for the public service of the German Länder (TV-L) or remuneration pursuant to the Bavarian Public Servants Remuneration Act (BayBesG) plus an additional annual bonus
• 30 days annual leave at five working days per week with additional free days on December 24 and 31
• Occupational pension scheme and asset accumulation savings scheme

• Remote work possible after the training period
• Excellent support during the academic qualification phase
• Thorough onboarding process with a dedicated team
• Joint team activities
• Flexible working hours
• A wide range of training courses and opportunities for professional development

The selected candidate for this position will lead work on the WieTrans project, a collaborative project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which begins in Fall 2024. They will also collaborate with other team members in the NFDI4Energy project consortium, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The central task in both projects is to develop and analyze methods for policy pathways for Germany and other European countries: How does energy and climate policy evolve over time? What role do ideology and technology play in policy development? In both projects, we work empirically to understand how policies emerge and why they are shaped as they are—while also striving to incorporate political decisions into quantitative energy system modeling, making policy an explicit component of prospective energy analysis. As with all projects in our group, this work serves as a basis for rigorous prospective analysis of political options to support upcoming political decisions and processes.

The candidate will also collaborate with the STP team at FAU, particularly contributing to the empirical policy analysis of the group, including researching the role of policy in past (successful and failed) transitions and the feedback between policy, technologies, and systems.

Key responsibilities include conducting research and publishing results in international peer-reviewed journals, writing grant proposals and managing funding, as well as collaborating within both project consortia and the "Sustainability Transition Policy" group.

• Completed PhD in Political Science, Economics, Transition Studies, or a related field with a focus on energy, climate, or transformation policy, including energy modeling
• Proven knowledge of European energy and climate policy
• Excellent publications in international, peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent proficiency in German and English
• Openness to interdisciplinary collaboration
• Experience in managing grants is desirable

The position does not involve any teaching obligations, as it is fully funded by third-party sources.

If the PhD has not yet been obtained, a concrete and verified timeline for the defense within the first 4 months of 2025 must be provided (including confirmation from the supervisor about the timeline).

Please apply with a short (!) motivation letter (max. 1 page), a CV with a publication list, and, if applicable, material to demonstrate skills or experiences (e.g., a paper, a thesis, etc.). Instead of recommendation letters, please provide contact details of references (email and/or phone).