Postdoctoral researcher in peri-urban energy planning and sufficiency

Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Urban Energy Systems Laboratory (UESL) pioneers strategies, solutions, and methods to support the development of sustainable, resilient, and equitable urban energy systems. Our work combines technology and policy with systems thinking and practical implementation, always grounded in real-world urban challenges.

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.

Your 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

Your 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

Our offer
We offer a postdoctoral position at the UESL, Empa, in Dübendorf, Switzerland, starting in January-March 2026. The position is initially for 2 years with the possibility of extension depending on project needs and funding. You will join an international, interdisciplinary team at Empa, conducting cutting-edge research at the interface of technology, society, and policy. Empa provides a stimulating and inclusive research environment with state-of-the-art facilities, strong links to academia and industry, and excellent opportunities for professional development.

We foster a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.

We look forward to receiving your complete online application including a letter of motivation, CV (please include grade point averages for degrees where applicable), degree copies, available transcripts and contact details of two reference persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.