Researcher/PostDoc Position on ‘Regional Economic Modeling of Long-Term Scenario’s and Climate Policy Impacts'

Do you have experience in economic modeling and would enjoy a 1,5-year project between academia and government with a real impact on policy? Join our PBL-TU Delft team!

Job description

Ambitious climate policy, such as the EU Green Deal and Dutch Delta Program, requires comprehensive assessments of its national, sectoral and regional economic impacts along a range of possible long-term socio-economic and climate scenarios. Several research institutes in the Netherlands are currently developing such long-term scenario’s taking into account their regional economic, environmental and welfare effects at subnational level for the Netherlands and Europe. This project offers a unique opportunity to perform impactful work between advanced academic and policy-oriented research by contributing to the development of regional and sectoral long-term scenarios for the Netherlands and European Union using a combination of statistical and econometric data analysis with Spatial Computable General Equilibrium modeling. The ambition is to provide new insights into the implications of future climate change and various European policies (including climate, regional, transport and energy policies) at the regional scale for both Netherlands and European Union. Analysis will be partly based on a unique database of all major European Union policies provided to PBL by the European Commission. 

The direct tasks of this PostDoc position include:

1. Literature review and statistical analysis of empirical data on regional impacts of various EU policies that can be used to develop scenarios;
2. Co-development of specific scenarios of regional development, e.g. regional inequalities as an outcome of EU policy and future climate change, changes in sectoral productivity and in consumption patterns;
3. Advance and run Spatial Computable General Equilibrium model developed by PBL to quantify the various regional scenarios as well as analyze and describe the model outcomes.

This position is jointly hosted by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency & TU Delft. At PBL you will collaborate with economists & modelers at the Department of Urbanisation and Transport. At TU Delft you will be part of the Policy Analysis Section, Department of Multi-Actor Systems at the Faculty of Technology Policy and Management, and will participate in the Delft Climate Action Program https://www.tudelft.nl/en/climate-action.     

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• PhD degree (for PostDoc level) or MSc degree (if starting at the post-MSc researcher level) in Economics, Operations Research or Econometrics.
• Experience of modeling in STATA, R or Python.
• Knowledge of/experience of modeling in GAMS is an advantage.
• Track record in economic modeling, preferably Computable General Equilibrium modeling.
• Domain knowledge in the field of climate or regional policy is an asset;
• Solid problem-solving skills and capacity to take the initiative;
• Ability to work well in a team.
• Proven written and verbal English communication skills (do mention your key publications in the motivation letter).
• Knowledge of Dutch is not obligatory but is an asset.     

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 1,5 year.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Employer

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

 Challenge. Change. Impact!

Department

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

Additional information

For information about the application procedure, contact the HR Advisor Martine van de Vorst, email: recruitment-tbm@tudelft.nl.