Postdoctoral Researcher in organi-zational dynamics for climate adaptation in utility services (100%) (m/f/d)
The Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development (Sandec) department has a vacancy forThe postdoc will work in the “Organizations and Climate” group at Eawag under the leader-ship of Dr George Wainaina and co-develop a two-year research project resulting into peer reviewed scientific articles. The preferred starting date is August 2025.
The project will focus on investigating the dynamic capabilities needed by water and sanitation service organizations to expand and sustain service provision amidst constraining climate impacts (e.g., droughts, floods, heatwaves etc). Together with the project team, the postdoctoral researcher will build on existing organizational studies literature to develop concepts for analyzing extent of dynamic capabilities and their role in supporting organizations sustain and expand services. The expectation is to establish new and transformative ways in which water and sanitation services can be provided (e.g., CWIS, sanitation levies, decentralized water and resource reuse, blue green infrastructures) and the dynamic capabilities organizations need to implement and manage them. The postdoctoral researcher will employ qualitative expert interviews combined with qualitative methodologies including Qualitative Comparative Analysis, social network analysis and thematic analysis to understand the role of dynamic capabilities in improving services, anticipating threats, and leveraging on opportunities.
We are looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and independent postdoctoral re-searcher interested in organizations as key change agents in sustainability transitions.
The successful candidate should have the following qualifications:
- PhD in Sociology, Public Policy and administration, Organizational Studies, or related fields in the social sciences
- Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required, skills in a second language (German are French) are an asset
- Experience with qualitative comparative analysis and/or qualitative expert interviews are a strong plus
- Ability and willingness to conduct comparative mixed method research in the water sector with possibility of doing empirical work beyond Switzerland
Applications must be submitted by 7 July 2025 and should include the following:
- 1-page cover letter indicating why you are the right candidate for this position, your motivation to apply and the potential impact that you can achieve with this kind of re-search
- CV
- One writing sample (e.g. a recent published article)
- Names and affiliations of three references
We look forward to receiving your application. Please send it through this webpage, as any other way of applying will not be considered. A click on the button below will take you directly to the application form.
Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
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