Postdoc Accelerating the Circular Transition

ACT! is seeking a postdoc to develop practical tools for assessing circular transition pathways and accelerating systemic change and to monitor the deployment of these pathways.

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the ACT! Accelerating the Circular Transition NWA-funded project, which brings together researchers, universities, and societal partners.

Your job

The postdoctoral researcher will join the Deep Transition Lab team, which is responsible for Work Package 3 (WP3) on identifying and evaluating actionable transition pathways. The team is led by Prof. Dr. Johan Schot at Utrecht University.

ACT aims to accelerate the transition towards a circular society in the Netherlands by 2050 through the development of historical and systemic approaches, analytical tools, and transition pathways that address the environmental, economic, and social challenges associated with linear economies.

The successful candidate will focus on (i) assessing future-oriented circular transition pathways and (ii) monitoring their deployment. These pathways will be used to identify and evaluate interventions capable of enabling systemic change towards a circular economy and society. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the development of rigorous and repeatable methods for assessing whether, how, and to what extent these transition pathways are driving structural change.

You will:

• select and co-develop indicators and methods to assessing circular transition pathways and systemic change across environmental, economic and social dimensions;
• apply approaches like network analysis and complementary systems-change-oriented methods to national-scale case studies, while supporting the development of pathways and theories of change;
• develop reproducible analytical tools, workflows and monitoring and evaluation frameworks for repeated assessment across cases;
• Monitor the deployment of the co-development pathways.

The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with colleagues developing pathways in Work Package 3, modelling and simulation tools in Work Package 2, and case studies in Work Package 4. This will involve aligning pathway development with suitable assessment approaches, co-designing monitoring strategies, analyzing interventions, and ensuring consistency across project outputs. The postdoctoral researcher will take a leading role in developing a robust toolkit for monitoring transition pathways and assessing progress towards systemic change, with explicit attention to sustainability, justice and fairness.

Your key responsibilities include:

Develop and refine metrics and analytical methods for measuring systems change and transition pathways;

• Apply network analysis and complementary methods across regional and local -scale case studies;
• Develop reproducible analytical tools and workflows for repeatable measurement of systems change across cases;
• Analyze and communicate findings through research outputs, practical tools and engagement with project partners;
• M&E framework to evaluate future transition pathways for a circular society;
• Co-design theories of change with project partners to co-develop systemic strategies for stakeholders;
• Monitor the deployment of co-developed transition pathways;
• Prepare academic publications and contribute to project deliverables;
• Engage with stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, and NGOs, to co-create and refine pathway analysis and possible interventions;
• Present research findings related to M&E  at project meetings, workshops, and conferences;
• Contribute to Deep Transition Lab activities and the Social and Economic History Group in the History and Art History Department.