Postdoc Researcher social and financial values of cooperative urban development

How can cooperative ownership and development models in the housing and energy sectors contribute to an affordable, sustainable, and equitable society? Can they help shape a new economy that prioritizes sustainability and broad-based prosperity alongside economic growth? What added value—both financial and societal—do they offer, and what are their tangible real-world outcomes?

Over the coming years, this question will be explicitly explored in Amsterdam through an interdisciplinary research project involving Wageningen University & Research and the Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) Institute.

The Urban Economics chair group at Wageningen University & Research is seeking a researcher to investigate the societal and financial value of cooperative urban development. The research focuses on current urban challenges in Amsterdam (specifically regarding housing and energy) and bridges academic analysis with concrete policy and practical questions.

This position offers a unique combination of academic research and direct engagement with urban practice and policy. You will be employed by WUR and work from both Wageningen and the AMS Institute in Amsterdam. AMS is a partnership between Wageningen University & Research, TU Delft, and MIT, where academia, the municipality, and societal partners collaborate on urgent urban issues.

The research is conducted in close collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam and other urban partners. Consequently, this is not an isolated academic project; rather, it is a role where your research is directly relevant to urban decision-making and where you actively contribute to developing follow-up research and new collaborations.

Your duties and responsibilities include: 

As a researcher, you will conduct research—both independently and collaboratively—into cooperative urban development models, with a strong focus on empirical case studies in Amsterdam. You will develop analytical frameworks that provide an integrated view of financial and societal costs and benefits, and which are directly relevant to urban policy and investment issues.

Your activities will include:

• Developing and implementing a research design for an integrated societal and financial cost-benefit analysis of cooperative urban initiatives in the housing and energy sectors;
• Conducting empirical research within selected case studies, including document analysis, interviews with initiators, policymakers, and other stakeholders, as well as the analysis of project and policy data;
• Developing indicators and methods to systematically measure the societal performance and financial outcomes of cooperative models;
• Translating research findings into both academic publications and accessible, practice-oriented outputs for policymakers and other urban partners;
• Actively contributing to knowledge exchange and co-creation with urban partners and financial institutions—including through the AMS Institute—and exploring opportunities for follow-up research and external funding. 

Your team

You are formally affiliated with the Urban Economics Group, where you are part of a multidisciplinary team of urban (behavioral) economists. AMS serves as the base for your research, with a strong focus on collaboration with the city, policymakers, and other knowledge institutions.

At AMS, you work in an interdisciplinary team and maintain close ties with the Municipality of Amsterdam, civil society organizations, and academic partners. This position is ideal for researchers who wish to actively bridge the gap between academia and urban practice.

As this research focuses explicitly on both the development of scientific knowledge and societal impact, we are seeking a candidate who:

• Holds a PhD in economics (ecological economics, regional/urban economics, environmental economics) or a relevant field with a clear focus on quantitative analysis;
• Possesses demonstrable knowledge and experience in making the societal and financial performance of projects measurable, including the development of indicators and an associated methodology;
• Is capable of conducting a quantitative analysis and comparison of projects based on this methodology;
• Has a command of the Dutch language (at least B1 level) in both speech and writing (necessary for conducting fieldwork);
• Is willing and motivated to translate scientific insights—with the support of project partners (including the AMS Institute)—into publications for a broader audience of national and municipal policymakers and administrators, and has experience conducting interviews and liaising with various types of stakeholders, including professionals within financial institutions;
• Possesses a relevant network in Amsterdam—and preferably also within cooperative movements and projects in the housing or energy sectors—which would be an asset.

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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, for the duration of the project. 

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. 

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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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 questions about this position, please contact Eveline van Leeuwen, eveline.vanleeuwen@wur.nl, or Dorus Stokhof , dorus.stokhof@ams-institute.org .

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

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply up to and including 10 August 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 17 July 2026.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure

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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