Postdoc on Fostering Growth and Creation of Renewable Energy Communities

Help shape tools to support thriving Energy Communities! Join our international team and make a real impact on the energy transition across four countries!

In the context of the European project RENvolveIT, the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development is looking for a postdoctoral researcher for a fully funded three-years position. You will work with Dr Luis Ramirez Camargo of the Energy & Resources group and with other project partners at institutions in Austria, Germany and Czech Republic.

Your job

Mitigating climate change requires both citizen involvement and energy democratisation, which are key to the European Green Deal. Community efforts have a strong multiplicative potential which is amplified when a wide range of (non-expert) stakeholders are involved. They foster the installation of more renewable energy capacities, actively reduce the stress on the regional grid and optimise overall resource usage.

In the framework of the project RENvolveIT (Regional Energy Networking – cross-sectional involvement through a modular interactive toolbox), we aim to achieve these positive effects by focusing on energy communities as a leveraging strategy to facilitate regional energy transition. RENvolveIT is a transdisciplinary international project with partners in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and The Netherlands. In this project, we will develop a user-friendly platform that will aid households, municipalities, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in navigating the complex renewable energy processes, offering networking, project guidance, participation, and energy planning tools. Demonstrator regions across Europe are the focus of the project, aiming to overcome challenges and foster cross-region synergies while prioritising the inclusion of communities.

The tasks for this position are as follows: 

• You support the definition of requirements, use cases and capabilities for tools to support the growth and creation of energy communities. These include tools for definition of governance structures, for planning energy supply systems and to manage assets of energy communities. This in a co-creation process with project partners and pilot owners in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and The Netherlands.
• You lead the development of the Dutch pilots in close collaboration with another postdoc in the project and two local energy communities.
• You oversee the field testing and demonstration of the developed tools at the seven pilots of the project.
• You organise and run (co-creation) workshops with the Dutch pilots as well dissemination activities with other potential users of the tools in the Netherlands.
• You conduct research on enabling factors, mechanisms and technologies for the growth and creation of energy communities.
• You disseminate project results and propose exploitation strategies for the developed tool(s).

While the tasks in RENvolveIT have to be completed as they are proposed, there is flexibility to place focus and emphasis on your own research interests and strengths. We aim to provide you with the conditions and support to advance in your academic and/or professional career. 

This research is funded by the Clean Energy transition (CET) partnership. Resources are secured for the participation in multiple international conference and interaction on site with stakeholders in the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic.

Your qualities

The ideal candidate:

• holds a PhD in a topic related to business administration, sustainable business innovation, innovation sciences, economics, sustainable development, energy science, (environmental) engineering, or urban/spatial planning;
• has knowledge of and interest in the energy transition – detailed knowledge and/or experience related to modeling, planning, or implementing energy communities is a plus;
• has understanding and/or experience with the utilisation of renewable energy technologies for energy supply in urban areas and energy markets;
• has strong presentation skills and experience communicating and working collaboratively with different type of stakeholders;
• has experience creating and conducting surveys, interviews, and events (workshops/focused group discussions) for participatory planning;
• has experience qualitatively and quantitatively analysing and interpreting data from surveys and interviews to extract meaningful insights and inform decision-making;
• has understanding and/or experience in the development of software products;
• is a team player and an organisational talent;
• is able to work in an interdisciplinary team spread across Europe;
• has excellent proficiency in English and Dutch (C1).

We recognise that candidates may not have all these qualifications. A combination of these skills (particularly the PhD degree, experience working with stakeholders, and the language requirements) and a willingness to acquire the others during the project will suffice for consideration.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position for 30 months with the prospect of a permanent employment contract after a positive evaluation;
• a gross monthly salary between €3,345 and €5,278 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU)); 
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus; 
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU. 

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

In particular you will be working for the Energy and Resources Section of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. The Copernicus Institute is a vibrant international research community that aims to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. We do this by developing excellent and relevant knowledge, collaborating with citizens, politicians, policymakers, NGOs and firms to learn from each other and influence decision-making, and by educating the change agents of the future. 

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Luis Ramirez Camargo at l.e.ramirezcamargo@uu.nl.

Please note that you will need to live and be registered in the Netherlands no later than shortly after the start of the contract. Applications from outside the Netherlands are very welcome—we are a highly international team—but you will need to relocate here for the duration of your contract.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation, one of your papers (e.g. the one that you consider your best or the one that fits better the topic of the project) and the contact data of two people that we could contact for references via the ‘apply now’ button.

We expect to run interviews during January 2025. We would like to start with the contract as soon as possible (likely in February) but no later than May 2025.

Please note that there are two postdoc positions available for the same project. Kindly refrain from applying to both, as the positions have different requirements. If you are unsure, please apply for the position you feel best suited for based on your qualifications.