Postdoc: Climate governance and corporate sustainability
Are you passionate about climate politics, corporate sustainability, and stakeholder engagement? Keen to explore how corporations set net-zero emission targets? Then we’re looking for you! Apply now at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Your function
You will join a new short-term research project investigating how political shifts, especially during Trump’s second term, affect corporate net-zero commitments. As part of a small team of social scientists at IVM, you will conduct qualitative research, primarily through interviews, to understand how major international companies respond to changing political attitudes toward climate action, ESG, and sustainability. You will be responsible for collecting and analysing interview data, presenting findings at academic conferences, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and organizing a stakeholder workshop in Amsterdam.
Your duties
What do we offer?
Education
An exciting postdoc position in a socially-engaged organisation with a supportive project team and an active early-career scientist community. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:
Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
Established in 1971, IVM (http://www.vu.nl/ivm) is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high-quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM has been part of the Faculty of Science at VU Amsterdam (legal name Stichting VU).
The department of Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) at IVM is a team of more than 25 researchers that was evaluated in the most recent international research quality review as “world leading” and as being “one of the highest profile academic research groups involved with sustainability governance from around the world”. We address questions related to institutional effectiveness and change, governance innovation and complexity as well as learning and adaptation. Empirically, we have a strong focus on water, climate change and biodiversity.
About The Department, Institute, Project
Provide more information about the department, institute, project, etc. Keep it brief. This is not a required section. If you do not use this text block, then delete it including the title.
Faculty of Science
Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field, yet have a broad view of the world. We are proud of a positive and inclusive workplace culture within the faculty, where we work together with great energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex societal issues for a sustainable, healthy and just future.
From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from helium to the universe and from genetics to medicine: our education and research cover the full breadth of science, from molecules to mankind. Our academic education and research are highly experimental, technical and interdisciplinary in nature. That is why we collaborate extensively with leading scientific institutes and industry. The faculty has more than 8,000 students studying in one of the 39 programms and employs more than 1,400 staff across 10 scientific departments, making us one of the largest science faculties in the Netherlands.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/code-of-conduct-vu-amsterdam)
We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.
Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.
We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.
Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.
Interested
Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.
IMPORTANT: Motivation letter should be limited to 1 page, resumés to 2 pages. Motivation letters generated with ChatGPT or other AI language tools will not be considered.
The job interviews are planned in mid-November 2025, so please take this into account when applying for the position.
Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.
Your function
You will join a new short-term research project investigating how political shifts, especially during Trump’s second term, affect corporate net-zero commitments. As part of a small team of social scientists at IVM, you will conduct qualitative research, primarily through interviews, to understand how major international companies respond to changing political attitudes toward climate action, ESG, and sustainability. You will be responsible for collecting and analysing interview data, presenting findings at academic conferences, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and organizing a stakeholder workshop in Amsterdam.
Your duties
- You will plan and execute 20 – 30 interviews with corporate leaders
- You will analyse interview data using scientifically robust methods
- You will contribute to an academic publication and presentation on corporate net-zero commitments
- You will organize a stakeholder workshop to present and discuss the results
- You have a strong interest in climate politics, environmental governance, or sustainability.
- You hold a PhD in political science, sociology, public administration or environmental social science.
- You bring experience in planning, conducting and analysing qualitative interviews, preferably with corporate actors.
- You work in a structured and proactive manner.
- You’re excited to join an interdisciplinary, impact-oriented team at IVM and are available to start on January 15, 2026, the latest.
What do we offer?
Education
An exciting postdoc position in a socially-engaged organisation with a supportive project team and an active early-career scientist community. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:
- a salary of minimum € 3.546,00 (Scale 10.0) and maximum € 5.538,00 (Scale 10.12) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
- a position for at least 0.5 FTE. Your employment contract will last 9 months.
- A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
- 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
- solid pension scheme (ABP)
- contribution to commuting expenses
- optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
Established in 1971, IVM (http://www.vu.nl/ivm) is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high-quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM has been part of the Faculty of Science at VU Amsterdam (legal name Stichting VU).
The department of Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) at IVM is a team of more than 25 researchers that was evaluated in the most recent international research quality review as “world leading” and as being “one of the highest profile academic research groups involved with sustainability governance from around the world”. We address questions related to institutional effectiveness and change, governance innovation and complexity as well as learning and adaptation. Empirically, we have a strong focus on water, climate change and biodiversity.
About The Department, Institute, Project
Provide more information about the department, institute, project, etc. Keep it brief. This is not a required section. If you do not use this text block, then delete it including the title.
Faculty of Science
Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field, yet have a broad view of the world. We are proud of a positive and inclusive workplace culture within the faculty, where we work together with great energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex societal issues for a sustainable, healthy and just future.
From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from helium to the universe and from genetics to medicine: our education and research cover the full breadth of science, from molecules to mankind. Our academic education and research are highly experimental, technical and interdisciplinary in nature. That is why we collaborate extensively with leading scientific institutes and industry. The faculty has more than 8,000 students studying in one of the 39 programms and employs more than 1,400 staff across 10 scientific departments, making us one of the largest science faculties in the Netherlands.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/code-of-conduct-vu-amsterdam)
We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.
Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.
We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.
Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.
Interested
Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.
IMPORTANT: Motivation letter should be limited to 1 page, resumés to 2 pages. Motivation letters generated with ChatGPT or other AI language tools will not be considered.
The job interviews are planned in mid-November 2025, so please take this into account when applying for the position.
Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.