Postdoc: Micro–Macro Modelling of Circular Society Transitions

Help to accelerate the transition to a circular Netherlands by co-creating and designing an agent-based model of the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA).

The world is facing many ecological and political challenges, many of them rooted in the linear, extractive systems of resource use in present-day society. As a result, these challenges throw up many questions about the future of society and cities. One widely agreed-upon necessity is the transition to a circular society, a society that is not extractive but that systematically reuses its resources. In this PostDoc, you will contribute to visions of a circular future, particularly in an urban context. 

Our multi-disciplinary NWA project ‘Accelerating the Circular Transition’ (ACT!) develops a systemic approach to accelerate the fair transition to a circular society in The Netherlands (and beyond). It will co-create an integrated approach to manage this complex transition, building a toolbox of shared visions of and for a circular society with societal well-being at its centre. For this, the consortium consists of a large variety of scientific researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, as well as stakeholders from all parts of Dutch society, including (national, regional and local) government, industry, and local NGO’s. Transitioning to a circular society poses trade-offs: creating new jobs while potentially eliminating others, enhancing wellbeing but reducing demand. Products as a service (PaaS) may boost resource efficiency but concentrate value in platforms. This demands comprehensive modelling. Global CGE models based on an IO core with environmental and social extensions. 

Your main contribitoin will be in the co-developing of a toolset (aim of WP2 of the project) to simulate a circular society and the transition to it, in particular focussing on the spatial distributions of the impact of the transition. These tools wil be used to evaluate pathways (as developed in WP3 and WP4 of the project) and monitor the transition and its impacts on key wellbeing and environmental impact indicators in the Netherlands in general and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region more specifically. 

Together with reaserchers from Wageningen University, Leiden University and Tilburg University, you will work on integrating their findings from the (static) circular LCAs, stock-flow MFA information and the environmental-economic metabolism in specific geographical areas such as Amsterdam with information on shifts in value-capturing potential when shifting to circular systems. This will provide novel insights into feedbacks, demand and supply balances and incentives for consumers and firms.

Your duties and responsibilities include : 

• Develop novel simulation model (extensions) for circularity transitions
• Investigate the systemic effects (across space) of different demand and supply decisions in the context of circular economy/society
• Collaborate in an interdisciplinary team and explore different methodological approaches
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at international conferences
• Interact with micro-modellers in collecting primary and secondary data to connect their Agent-based model to the macro models.

You will work here

The research is embedded within the chair Urban Economics, which is led by Prof. Eveline van Leeuwen. You will be co-supervised by Francesca Rubiconto (UEC). Furthermore, you will be connected to the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), which is an important entry point for data and models in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam.

You have successfully completed a PhD degree in urban/regional/spatial Economics; Computational science; (quantitative) Environmental Sciences, Complex systems engineering, or a similar program.

You also possess: 

• Have experience in the construction and empirical calibration of models
• Possess good programming skills in Python, MathLab, Mathematica, or similar software
• Good knowledge of and experience with economic and environmental statistical data and methods like IOA, MFA, LCA is an advantage
• Be team-oriented and open to different methods and disciplines
• Have a good command of English (spoken and written)
• You have successfully completed a PhD degree in urban/regional/spatial Economics; Computational science; Complex systems engineering, or a similar program.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. 

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

For more information about the position, please contact prof.dr. Eveline van Leeuwen, via eveline.vanleeuwen@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke Oostenbruggen, Corporate Recruiter, via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

To apply, please send the following documents (max. 3 pages in total for both documents):

• Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae;
• Motivation letter.

The maximum length of the documents must not exceed 3 pages. If it exceeds, applications will not be considered. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required during this stage and will not be considered.

You can apply until the 15th of February 2026.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

​The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

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