We are looking for a medior or senior action researcher (m/f/x)

DRIFT is looking for a researcher at the medior or senior level who also wants to be active in our education and consultancy. As an action researcher at DRIFT, you strive for academic excellence, contribute to conceptual innovation and bring about societal impact and social learning through action research projects.

Working at DRIFT

The Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) is a leading research institute in the field of transition science. Founded in 2004, we were one of the first organisations globally devoted to transitions towards just and sustainable societies. That focus remains – we are now organised as a social enterprise with 30+ actions researchers with very different backgrounds, sharing their transition message all across the Netherlands and internationally. At DRIFT, we are constantly working on research, education, consultancy and activism for fundamental change. The institute is organised as a private company belonging to the Erasmus University Rotterdam family.

DRIFT strives to be an inclusive employer to all, regardless of gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, religion or mental/physical ability. That’s why we specifically encourage applications from those who identify as belonging to a marginalised group.

Looking for an action researcher

Our medior and senior academic staff help shape and lead our transformative research and create linkages with our education and consultancy by contributing to our post-academic trainings and advisory projects. To strengthen our team, we are looking for a researcher with academic experience as well as transdisciplinary skills and a drive for social engagement and impact. We expect you to work in teams and contribute to the development of your colleagues. In turn, DRIFT will support yours.

Depending on your experience and other qualities you will join our team as a medior or senior researcher.

What it’s like being a medior researcher

Medior researchers are the backbone of DRIFT’s research activities. They are expected to coordinate and execute research tasks in large projects, often guided by a senior researcher in the lead, and supported by junior researchers. In smaller projects, researchers take on more responsibilities for the entire project. You will also spend a significant part of your time on education and/or consultancy.

In this role, you will:

• Conduct interviews, surveys, (grey) literature reviews, inventories etc.; develop research methodologies and protocols for these; and write reports, papers and articles on these.
• Help co-shape DRIFT’s research agenda, by taking part in, and supporting, our research ‘circle’ and other joint sessions and activities
• Support developing new research proposals
• Provide (informal) guidance to interns, thesis students and junior researchers
• Support and moderate in- and external knowledge sessions
• Take the lead in research activities at the task level (task with work packages), occasionally take the lead in small research projects. Depending on experience-level, you may also be asked to guide/supervise Ph.D. students.
• Guide student (groups) in both our initial education (Master Societal Transitions) and post-academic trainings.
• Join consultancy projects

What we require:

• A finished PhD (at the very least a date set for your defense, and a manuscript approved by the reading/small committee, or similar confirmation).
• At least three years experience in impact-oriented or action research projects within Horizon Europe or similar programmes, or having extensively done action research in your own PhD.
• Knowledge of the field of transition studies or a closely related field (such as innovation studies, sustainability governance…)
• Excellent written and spoken English and Dutch both at level CEFR-C2 (certification not required).
• Preferably: a limited proven record in academic publishing, action research or other highly societal relevant research (in which we value quality, originality and relevance over quantity and citation scores).
• EU citizenship (so not just EU residency) or a Dutch permit of residency and Dutch work permit. You are living in the Netherlands and intend to stay.

What it’s like being a senior researcher

Senior researchers are expected to show intellectual leadership to further develop the DRIFT research agenda and within the field of transition studies. They are able to manage complex research projects, often in the context of large collaborations between research institutes and societal organisations.

In this role, you will:

• Lead projects (or be work package/task leader) within large European and other (action) research projects
• Significantly contribute to shaping DRIFT’s research agenda, and actively take part in our research ‘circle’
• Develop and write proposals for collaborative research projects (such as Horizon Europe), together with other DRIFTers on the basis of the direction in which we want to take our research.
• Supervise and guide PhD students as well as junior/medior colleagues
• Lead in- and external knowledge sessions
• Teach and guide students in both our academic education (Master Societal Transitions) and post-academic trainings.

What we require:

• A completed PhD and at least 5 years (action) research experience since.
• A proven record in academic publications on action research or other highly societal relevant research (in which we value quality, originality and relevance over quantity and citation scores).
• Experience in impact-oriented or action research projects within Horizon Europe or similar programmes, in a leading role (this can also be leading a specific part of the project).
• Experience in supervising/guiding PhDs and/or MSc thesis students.
• In-depth knowledge of the field of transition studies or a closely related field (such as innovation studies, sustainability governance…) and ability to bring the field of transition studies further in terms of action research theory and especially practice.
• Excellent written and spoken English C2. Dutch language skills have added value for this position, but are not a requirement (DRIFT’s internal working language is English)
• EU citizenship (so not just EU residency) or a Dutch permit of residency and Dutch work permit. You are living in the Netherlands and intend to stay.

What we offer

A salary according to scale 10/11 of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO NU). More specifically, for the ‘senior researcher’ profile we offer scale 11.0 – 11.8 (3974-5093 euro/month gross, currently). And for the ‘researcher’ profile we offer scale 10.3 – 10.7 (3413-3974 euro/month gross, currently) if you start on a track towards senior researcher. Except for the salary table, the CAO NU labour agreement does not apply to DRIFT employees.

In addition, a job at DRIFT has attractive perks, such as:

• a 40-hour work week with flexible office hours as well as a generous amount of holiday days and extra ADV days (44 days for 1 FTE on a 40-hour workweek). There’s the possibly to have some of these paid out;
• a good pension scheme (ABP) and the option to join collective insurance policies;
• access to a number of university facilities such as a gym (at a discount), before and after-school childcare and the library.

We also offer a fun and warm work environment! We love lunch table conversations on just about any topic and if you need to blow off some steam, you can always try to beat the company pinball high score. We also regularly organise team (knowledge) activities, dinners and drinks. DRIFT has a flat organisational structure which gives a lot of freedom and makes for a quite informal work atmosphere.

How to apply

For further questions on what the role entails, you can contact Tessa de Geus (degeus@drift.eur.nl). For specific questions about the application procedure, please contact Maryce Koedood (koedood@drift.eur.nl). It is not possible to have a conversation about the role without applying and being invited.

To apply, send an email to drift@drift.eur.nl. Please clearly indicate in the title of your email and in your motivation letter whether you are applying for either ‘medior researcher’ or ‘senior researcher’, as this will determine our selection criteria to invite you for an interview or not. Please attach to your email:

• A full academic CV, that also lists relevant non-academic activities.
• A motivation letter, introducing yourself, outlining why you want to work for us and explaining why you are a good match for this role.
• Two or three publications that you feel most demonstrate your relevant experience for this position
• Optionally material/links from relevant projects you worked on (please clearly describe your contribution/role in these).

This vacancy has no definitive deadline: we will continuously accept submissions, we aim to decide within two weeks of an application if we invite you for an interview or not.