Postdoc position in sufficiency and urban energy planning

[Mashael Yazdanie]

Dear MES Colleagues,

I am recruiting for a new postdoc position starting in early 2026 on the topic of peri-urban energy planning and sufficiency at the Urban Energy Systems Laboratory, Empa (ETH domain), Switzerland.

Please feel free to share this information within your networks.

Introduction

Within the framework of the EU Horizon project periASTY (“Flexibly adjustable mobility, energy, industry, and governance innovations to improve decarbonisation of peri-urban areas and accelerate their integration in the transition towards climate neutrality”), we are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to investigate how sufficiency (i.e., measures to avoid or reduce resource use while ensuring well-being for all within planetary boundaries) can serve as a lever for transformative peri-urban energy planning. Focusing on the Sisslerfeld Living Lab as a testbed for innovative mobility and energy solutions, the project couples sufficiency thinking with renewable energy community planning, developing methodological innovations that bridge quantitative modeling and qualitative approaches.

Tasks

• Develop and apply optimization and simulation models to assess the role of renewable energy technologies in Sisslerfeld
• Quantify and evaluate sufficiency measures (SMs), their suitability, and their potential to reduce energy demand and emissions in peri-urban areas
• Integrate SMs with renewable local energy community and sustainable mobility planning to assess their contribution to accelerating climate neutrality
• Translate research findings into policy and governance recommendations that enable the implementation of sufficiency measures across sectors (e.g., residential, business, industrial, and mobility), supporting climate neutrality and wellbeing
• Develop transferable analytical frameworks and methods that can be applied to other periASTY partner cities and urban contexts
• Collaborate within an interdisciplinary, international consortium, contributing to scientific publications, project deliverables, and stakeholder engagement activities

Profile

• PhD in energy systems, sustainability science, engineering, socioeconomics (with a focus on energy), or a related field
• Strong background in quantitative modeling and simulation, preferably with experience in energy system optimization (e.g., OSeMOSYS, TIMES, MESSAGE, or similar frameworks)
• Good understanding of sufficiency concepts, socio-technical transitions, or sustainability policy, and enthusiasm for integrating social and ecological dimensions into energy research
• Passion for and demonstrated interest in issues of equity, justice, and well-being, with the ability to connect technical solutions to societal, governance, and environmental outcomes
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders; openness to combining qualitative and quantitative methods
• Excellent communication skills (spoken and written English) and the ability to contribute to scientific publications, project deliverables, and international collaboration

Please visit the following link for further details and to apply:

https://apply.refline.ch/673276/2114/pub/1/index.html

Best Regards,

Mashael Yazdanie

Group Leader, Ph.D. | Macro-Energy Systems

Urban Energy Systems Laboratory, Empa

https://uesl.empa.ch

mashael....@empa.ch