RWTH Aachen University

At the Chair for Energy Systems Economics (FCN-ESE), we work in a highly motivated team on innovative solutions for an ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable energy system. Under the leadership of Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Aaron Praktiknjo, we research interdisciplinary issues related to energy markets, energy policy, and energy technology.

We use state-of-the-art methods such as serious games, artificial intelligence, and mathematical optimization methods, and focus on issues of high social relevance. Should you wish to join this dynamic team, a research associate and PhD position is now available within a collaborative research initiative between RWTH Aachen University and the University of Pretoria.

The project focuses on developing innovative indicators and analyzing the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the energy transition, with the aim of deriving viable business models and evidence-based policy options. Special attention will be given to the historical, societal, and cultural contexts of both Germany and South Africa.

Your Profile

The project combines qualitative and quantitative empirical research with techno-economic modeling. Therefore, you should have a strong interdisciplinary background, particularly in economics and engineering. A university degree with a focus on economics (Master’s or equivalent), e.g., in Industrial Engineering, Business Mathematics, Business Informatics, Economics, Business Administration, or a technical degree with an economic specialization, is required. Familiarity with the Just Energy Transition and its associated policy dimensions is essential.

Additional skills and experiences that would be advantageous include:

• Experience in structuring and conducting interviews: Applied to stakeholder interviews with policymakers, industry representatives, and community actors to capture qualitative insights on energy transition pathways, technology acceptance, and social concerns.
• Knowledge of discrete choice experiments (DCEs): Used to design and analyze surveys assessing willingness to pay, preferences for energy technologies (e.g., hydrogen, batteries), and policy instrument acceptance.
• Familiarity with value chain analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA): Applied to assess environmental and social impacts of supply chains for critical materials (e.g., platinum, vanadium, manganese) and technologies (e.g., green hydrogen production, battery storage), including human rights risks, employment impacts, and distributional effects.
• Understanding of optimization models: Used to contribute to techno-economic modeling of energy systems, including Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), input–output approaches to optimize cost structures, resource allocation, and policy scenarios.
• Exposure to system dynamics modeling approaches: Applied to simulate feedback effects, long-term dynamics, and system interactions in energy transitions (e.g., adoption pathways of new technologies, policy interventions, and market behavior).

Proficiency in German (excellent quality) and English (good quality) is required.

• Interest in the energy industry and interdisciplinary work.
• Affinity for systemic thinking and quantitative work.
• Very good ability to work in a team and independently.

Prior knowledge in one or more of the following areas is helpful:

• Mathematical optimization.
• Machine learning (e.g., artificial neural networks).
• Statistics (econometrics) and Monte Carlo simulations.

Your Tasks

In our research and industry projects, you will work on current issues in energy system analysis. Your activities will include:

• Collaboration in interdisciplinary research and industry projects related to energy system analysis.
• Supporting teaching activities at a university of excellence.

In addition to these core responsibilities, the research associate will:

• Conduct and analyze stakeholder interviews to support qualitative insights.
• Design and implement discrete choice experiments to assess policy and market preferences.
• Apply value chain and life cycle analysis methods to evaluate energy transition pathways.
• Contribute to techno-economic models, including the development or use of optimization and system dynamics tools.
• Collaborate with partners in Germany and South Africa to ensure context-specific relevance of research outputs.
• Assist in the dissemination of results through academic publications, policy briefs, and project workshops.

About Us

RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket. RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly from groups that are underrepresented at the University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is strongly committed to encouraging women in their careers. Female applicants are given preference if they are equally suitable, competent, and professionally qualified, unless a fellow candidate is favored for a specific reason. As RWTH is committed to equality of opportunity, we ask you not to include a photo in your application. You can find information on the personal data we collect from applicants in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at the following information page: RWTH GDPR information for applications.

Summary

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract. The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term initially for one year. Continued employment for at least two years is planned. The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts). This is a full-time position. The successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this position. The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L). The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

Duration: 1 year (plus 1 year extension)