Postdoc position in socioeconomic modelling of sustainable food systems

Gothenburg, Sweden

2025-10-30 (Europe/Stockholm)

Apply now

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

Keywords

Sustainable food systems, resource recovery, food-water-energy nexus, ecological engineering

Subject area

Techno-economic modelling, ecological engineering, agricultural economics

Description

Sustainable food production is increasingly dependent on the recovery and reuse of water, energy, and nutrients from waste streams within existing supply chains. By closing resource loops and optimizing food production systems it is possible to create high-value products for both human and animal nutrition while reducing environmental impacts of existing food production industries. Advances in ecological engineering and circular economy approaches demonstrate that waste streams can serve as a valuable resource, supporting more efficient and resource-efficient food systems.

Emerging innovations ranging from the cultivation of microbial assemblages in bioreactors to produce key dietary components and controlled environment systems (i.e., aquaculture, hydroponics, and aquaponics) offer pathways to improve nutrient recovery and lower dependance on finite resources. However, challenges remain in deploying these technologies in terms of infrastructure costs, technical scalability, market acceptance, socio-economic, socio-technical contexts and financial feasibility.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to conduct transdisciplinary research on sustainable and resilient systems of food consumption and production. This includes integrating new technologies, policies, and practices into diverse socio-economic contexts. Expertise in areas such as aquaculture, horticulture, waste recovery, energy performance, agriculture and economics will be highly relevant. The role also requires strong collaborative skills across cultural and disciplinary boundaries to develop innovative, practical solutions for sustainable food production.

The candidate will be responsible for techno-economic modelling, supply chain analysis, and market assessment of emerging circular technologies aimed at producing food and high–value dietary components. The scope of the project may be tailored to align with the candidate’s skills and research interests. At a minimum, applicants must have a background in ecological engineering, agricultural economics feasibility modelling, and financial risk assessment. Experience with the following methodologies will be considered an asset:

• Material and energy flow analysis (input-output, energy metrics and efficiency costing)
• Cost-Benefit Assessment at scale (CAPEX, OPEX and Revenue Streams)
• Lifecycle and environmental assessment (functional units, system boundaries, system expansion, environmental trade-off assessments)
• Financial decision-making criteria (net present value, deterministic and stochastic interpretation, multi-criteria assessment)
• Logistic assessment (linear programming, modelling, GIS)
• Socio-Economic Research Methods (discrete choice Experiments, willingness to pay, survey and structured questionnaires)

The candidate will be responsible for running applied experiments, economic modelling and projects in several different labs (Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia) as part of funded projects, thus requiring flexibility for extended stays in various locations as well as international travel to participate in working groups, conferences and visits with project partners.

Key qualifications

We are seeking a candidate who is independent and self-motivated; details of the project can be adjusted based on the candidate’s skills and interests. The candidate will be expected to take leadership within the project, driving and concluding their work independently, taking initiative and developing their own ideas, including writing well-formulated reports and articles. The candidate will be working in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, food scientists, modellers, and social scientists involving several international research groups, therefore good teamwork, communication skills, and the ability to travel are essential.

At a minimum, the candidate must possess a PhD in bioengineering, environmental sciences, economic sciences, agriculture, energy modelling, and/or related disciplines. The candidate must demonstrate experience with various quantitative and qualitative methods for food production, food security, ecological and industrial engineering, and socio-economic research. It is not a requirement that the candidate has prior experience in aquaculture, but it would be useful to have skills that support a technical understanding of aquaculture systems.

Good communication skills in English (written and spoken) are necessary.

Employment

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment, 2 year

Location: Department of Conservation, Gothenburg, Sweden

First day of employment: To be determined (flexible)

The exact start date for this position is negotiable depending on the availability of a suitable candidate. The post-doctoral fellow will be hired for a two-year period to lead this project. You will have a full spectrum of vacation and travel benefits, as well as coverage from national health and business travel insurance.

Contact information

For further information about the position, please contact Alyssa Joyce: alyssa.joyce@gu.se

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

Application procedure

In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The application must include:

• A CV and cover letter that describes how the applicant meets the selection criteria
• Evidence of strong academic writing skills (3 full text of first author peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports, and a copy of the PhD thesis)
• Name and contact details of three referees attached in a file entitled References (your name).pdf

If the following items are not evident on the CV, please state clearly in the cover letter how you meet the following requirements:

• Proof of research and scientific writing skills with at least 3 published articles as first author in a peer-reviewed journal (please also highlight any technical reports written). As noted above, full-text of three articles and PhD thesis must be provided with the application;
• Willingness to travel internationally for research, conferences and other project meetings;
• Demonstrated statistical skills, including software such as R, Python, Power-BI

The application is to be written in English.

Applications must be received by: 30 October 2025

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations. Salaries are set individually at the University. In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed. In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.