Postdoc in institutional analysis of climate change adaptation - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

LUCSUS, the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies includes about 50 staff who study a range of sustainability challenges such as climate change, water conflicts, food security, land use changes and urbanisation, often conducted in international cooperation. LUCSUS also runs an international master’s programme in sustainability science with about 50 students each year from 20+ countries.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University.

Work duties and areas of responsibility

The project, ICARUS - Illuminating power dynamics in cross-scale adaptation for more resilient and just futures,  aims to develop a better understanding of the power and political structures that shape climate change adaptation decisions across scales. To do this, the post-holder will conduct comparative empirical research across Skåne, Sweden and East Anglia, United Kingdom.

The successful candidate will carry out policy analysis and expert interviews across four levels (local, province/region, state, and EU/UN), as well as surveys in Skåne and East Anglia. They will lead on, and contribute to, academic and popular science articles resulting from the project, policy briefs, stakeholder engagement, and the dissemination of project results. There is also an expectation that the applicant will be involved in some supervision of MSc student theses and teaching in sustainability science and/or climate change and society at LUCSUS.

Additional duties may be added and your duties may vary during the year, depending on current needs. During the summer, the work mainly consists of monitoring and answering incoming mail. The reception is open three hours, three times a week during term time. You are two receptionists who divide the work shifts between you. 

Qualifications

Applicants must have a PhD degree not older than 3 years at the application deadline in a related field (e.g., geography, sustainability, political science). They should have worked on, or demonstrate broad knowledge of, climate change adaptation policy and practice in Sweden/UK and/or power and institutional analyses in a related context. An established research record, including a record of successful collaboration and co-operation with others, is a requirement.

We are especially looking for a candidate with a demonstrated ability to use and combine quantitative and qualitative methods. The ideal candidate would be equally conversant in analytical frameworks such as political economy, adaptation solution spaces, and post-Ostrom institutional analysis. Also necessary is a demonstrated ability to apply methods such as surveys, interviews, process tracing, actor network mapping, network analysis, and combining theory with empirical approaches to study climate change adaptation. Please address these skills directly in your application. This position requires an ability to work creatively and independently in designing and leading research, while also taking direction as part of an interdisciplinary team with clear project-oriented goals. Management experience of research teams (e.g., supervision of students or research assistants) is an asset. Excellent academic writing skills, including leading the development of well-argued and clearly written scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, are a prerequisite, and will be evaluated based on previous publications. Excellent organisational skills are required such as having organised workshops online and/or in person and good report writing skills. Time management skills and ability to juggle tasks and meet deadlines is essential. Candidates should be fluent in written and spoken academic English; working knowledge of Swedish is desirable.

Further information

This is a temporary position as postdoc for 2 years.  The candidate will be based at Lund, beginning September 2023, and will likely spend some time in East Anglia during the course of the research. 

The successful candidate will be guided and mentored by Murray Scown alongside the ICARUS team of project Principal Investigator Emily Boyd and Co-I Guy Jackson at LUCSUS, and Co-I Ana-Maria Vargas at the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) and project coordinator Joyce Soo. The position also requires close collaboration with a four-year PhD position in the ICARUS project.

How to apply

Applications are to be submitted electronically via the Lund University application portal. The application must include: Cover letter: Short motivation of the applicant and connection with the position, including how this position serves future career goals. Include name and contact information of applicant (1 page max).

CV: Academic and professional background, detailing relevant experience, particularly research. Any publications (separate peer-reviewed, technical reports, and popular science or outreach). Any teaching experience. Include names and contact information for three academic or professional references who can speak to your professional and teamwork abilities. At least one should be a former or current research supervisor.

Research discussion: The applicant should include a clear description of how their scholarly background and expertise is applicable, and will add value, to the project set out above. The applicant should also outline the kind of methods and theories that they would propose to draw on when conducting the research (max. 2000 words).

Interviews will be conducted with a shortlisted number of applicants during the final stages of the admission process.