The societal challenge to become more sustainable has many different appearances. It has to do with concrete issues like changing our energy provision, re-using our resources, and making our urban environments more climate resilient. These challenges ask for new forms of coproduction and sustained collaboration between public, private and societal actors. These actors must be able to develop, implement and maintain solutions that oftentimes differ from current practices and routines. Such solutions are for example blue-green infrastructure coproduced with citizens, local heat solutions between private companies and citizens or creative solutions for sharing of natural resources (water, energy) between entrepreneurs and public agencies7c. To sustain this collaboration and to manage it over longer periods of time, involved actors must design suitable governance arrangements. These arrangements refer to (among other things) task distributions among involved stakeholders, the allocation of both merits and costs, and accountability procedures. These arrangements have to be tailor-made to each specific context, containing different constellations of actors, policies and institutional frameworks.  

This poses an intriguing research and design question: what are the general principles that characterize successful governance arrangements to realize this kind of innovative measures and how to design and maintain such arrangements that fit into the challenges of the issue at hand, the demands of the different stakeholders and the characteristics of the solution? To answer this question, we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who is able to combine descriptive, comparative research into innovative governance arrangements (at the local level) and a design-oriented approach to explore and come up with arrangements that fit into concrete action situations.

The research will be done within the context of different large research projects (on blue-green infrastructure, on bottom-up heating arrangements and on the sharing of water as a natural resource within the greenhouse sector). In addition, the postdoc will be embedded within the Erasmus Governance Design Studio and will collaborate in various project teams. We offer a full-time position for at least two years.

• Must have a background in public administration, organization sciences, management studies or a related field;
• Must have a proven affinity with sustainability issues
• Must have a desire to contribute to creating societal impact and therefore must have a proven ability to translate scientific knowledge in practical solutions
• Must master a rich plethora of methodological skills (preferably both quantitatively and qualitatively)
• Must be able to combine different project activities at the same time within complex and demanding stakeholder environments;
• Some experience in project management is a pre.

Your initial employment term will be one year, it can be extended up to a maximum of two years if your performance proves satisfactory. The trial period is two months. Your remuneration will depend on the position, your specific knowledge and experience It will be calculated on the basis of full-time salary ranging between EUR 3.637 and 4.978 gross per month (salary scale 11, CAO NU ).

Internationally-oriented and varied work within an enthusiastic team, with attractive fringe benefits in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU). Your employment term will be one year and can be extended with another year if your performance proves satisfactory.  If we have opportunities in the organization further temporary extension is a possibility. Your remuneration will depend on the position, your specific knowledge and experience It will be calculated on the basis of full-time salary ranging between EUR 3.637 and EUR 4.978 gross per month (salary scale 11, CAO NU ). Erasmus University Rotterdam offers attractive terms of employment, including a holiday allowance of 8%, a year-end payment of 8.3% and 41 annual leave days in case of a full work week. In addition, EUR takes part in the ABP pension scheme, and we also offer partially paid parental leave. For international spouses we have set up a dual career programme. Moreover, EUR staff members are allowed to make use of the EUR facilities, including the Erasmus sports centre and the University Library.

We value diversity and believe that a diversity of talents contributes to our vision and strategy to excel as a university on research and education. This means that we are looking for a person who can complement our team well. For more information about EUR and the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, please visit www.eur.nl/essb. 

Erasmus University Rotterdam

The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), named after Rotterdam-born humanist and theologian Erasmus, is a research university with a strong international orientation and a pronounced social focus, both in its education and research activities. On the lively, modern campus, more than 28.000 students and scholars of more than 100 nationalities are constantly encouraged to develop their talents and meet their ambition. Our more than 2700 scientists and employees work together with all our students to solve challenges faced by global society, drawing their inspiration from the consistently dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. The academic education offered at our faculties is intensive, engaging and strongly focused on practical application. We increasingly perform our research in multidisciplinary teams, which are closely interwoven with international networks. In terms of research impact and the quality of its degree programmes, EUR can compete with the foremost universities in Europe, which is reflected in its consistent top-100 position in most major universities rankings. Erasmus University Rotterdam’s key values are daring, curiosity, social involvement, breaking new ground and striving for success www.eur.nl

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research.  Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office (for more information, please visit www.eur.nl/essb).

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS covers the disciplines of Public Administration and Sociology. Two related scientific fields with different profiles. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on the institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes well beyond the public realm itself and pays attention to public-private cooperation and networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structure of societies and the way it evolves. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus among other things on processes of globalization and individualization and on the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market or family relations. Related social problems that are studied are migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and masterprogrammes of DPAS are build on this profile and educate students to become scientifically schooled professionals.