Job posting // (Senior) Researcher of Stakeholder Engagement
Do you share a passion for working with diverse stakeholders in innovative ways, combining high quality scientific action research with the ethical responsibility for creating impact in communities and society? The IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is looking for a (Senior) Researcher of Stakeholder Engagement.
About IHE Delft
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, the world’s largest international graduate water education facility, works to strengthen water sector capacity to contribute to a world free of poverty and injustice, in which people manage their water and environmental resources sustainably and equitably.
More than 120 of IHE Delft’s 200 staff members are academics from all over the world. About 250 guest lecturers from global academia and industry contribute to the Institute’s educational programmes. Each year, 750 international professionals, including about 200 MSc students, attend courses at IHE Delft. Our working language is English, and we promote a healthy work-life balance through measures that include support to staff who want to work part of their time from home.
IHE Delft is a unique knowledge institute in the Dutch research and educational landscape that combines excellence in education and research with work to advance global sustainable development. Partnerships are integral to achieving this mission: The Institute works closely with universities, government agencies, NGOs, and private sector institutions in the Netherlands and around the world. Through research, education and institutional strengthening, Institute staff make a tangible contribution towards all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in which water is key.
For more information, please visit the IHE Delft website.
Open position
The Hydroinformatics and socio-technical innovation department focuses on catalysing change in society, technology and policy, and enhancing the use of enabling ICTs, towards sustainability and resilience. The department intends to recruit a:
(Senior) Researcher of Stakeholder Engagement (38 hours)
This position contributes to projects, education and capacity development activities of the Knowledge & Innovation Studies Group, led by Dr. Uta Wehn, Associate Professor, who will guide the researcher.
Do you share our passion for working with diverse stakeholders in innovative ways, combining high quality scientific action research with the ethical responsibility for creating impact in communities and society? Then we offer a dynamic and challenging position in an international environment!
The research of the Knowledge & Innovation Studies Chair group focuses on knowledge and innovation dynamics and aims to understand and shape their role in transformative change processes. It contributes to the deeper understanding and analysis of the objectives, purposes, processes and instruments of innovative, problem-driven forms of knowledge co-creation and application as well as innovation processes in the water sector world-wide addressing complex societal needs, especially in the light of digital innovations. The research is implemented using Action Research (including participatory action research) in the context of water-related multi-stakeholder projects, triggering action and changes, while accompanying these with critical reflection based on sound social science research (cutting across behavioural sciences, political science, knowledge management, management studies and development studies). In terms of water thematics, the research in this Chair group cuts across all areas of water management and governance: water resources management, water services, as well as flood and drought risk management.
The researcher will focus on the following two subthemes:
• The human and social dimensions of citizen science
• Social innovation and stakeholder engagement
This position will contribute to the research activities of the chair group, including two newly starting Horizon Europe projects:
• CitiObs - Enhancing Citizen Observatories for healthy, sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities
• MAR2PROTECT - Preventing groundwater contamination related to global and climate change through a holistic approach based on managed aquifer recharge
In these research projects, the position holder will focus on the theory and practice of inclusive stakeholder engagement (incl. via LivingLabs), participation dynamics and the uptake of citizen-generated data in decision making.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to the Chair group’s research activities by advancing and applying conceptual frameworks and methods for the respective research themes, building on the KIS Chair group’s knowledge base and other relevant research
- Ensure research contributions and project deliverables are of high quality, on time and within budget
- Disseminate research results in creative and effective ways by drafting, writing and presenting scientific papers, conference papers and other outreach materials
- Design and implement topic-related capacity development interventions and derive theoretical insights from practice
- Lead, or make major contributions to, project-related funding opportunities and acquisitions
- Contribute to the Chair group’s education activities, as needed
- Supervise MSc and PhD theses, as needed
Requirements
- Motivated to contribute to sustainability science with social science research on innovative stakeholder engagement in participatory water and environmental governance, and to work in an international cooperation context
- PhD degree in a relevant social science discipline, e.g. innovation studies, sociology, psychology, or political science with demonstrable training in qualitative and quantitative research skills, and with excellent grades
- Experience with undertaking high quality social science research on stakeholder engagement social innovation and/or citizen science in the field of water and environment (demonstrated by publications and projects)
- Demonstrable track record with successful project acquisition (or key contributions)
- Strong analytical skills and ability to identify key issues; meticulous information processing
- Excellent writing skills and written and spoken command of English, as demonstrated by previous course work and/or publications in English; Spanish, French and/or Dutch language skills are an advantage
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills within multi-national and cultural contexts; and ability to deal with a wide range of stakeholders and project partners in a highly professional manner;
- Strong team spirit and willingness to embrace change to capture emerging opportunities
Terms of employment
This position is a one-year contract and is based in Delft, The Netherlands. At the end of the year there will be an evaluation to see if the contract can be extended. A competitive salary (grade 10-12) is offered depending on qualifications and experience in accordance with the conditions of employment for Dutch Universities. The appointment implies entry into the Netherlands' Civil Service Pension Fund (ABP). Candidates must be prepared to carry out short-term missions abroad.
Information and application
Additional information can be obtained from Ms. U.W.C. Wehn, Associate Professor of Water Innovation Studies, (E: u.wehn@un-ihe.org).
Applications (in English) should respond specifically to the requirements, and can be sent by 11 December 2022 (closing date) including curriculum vitae, motivation letter and the names and contact details of two contactable referees (all together as one PDF file with your family name as the filename), to IHE Delft, attn. Human Resource Management (E: recruitment@un-ihe.org ), PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands, stating vacancy number 22-HSTI-01.
Interviews with selected candidates will start during December 2022.
Further Information
Please find further information and more details in the offical job description.