Postdoctoral Research Associate with a background in Management or Business Administration

Visit our website to learn more about the five Key Subject Areas that are involved in the project: «Climate Futures in Digital Cultures», «Companies as Drivers of Sustainability Transformations», «Democratic Resilience», «Organizing in Times of Crisis», and «Toward a Regenerative Society», complemented by a «Psychology of Transformation» acting as a Hub Science. To create synergies between these various fields and explore new perspectives, the «Leuphana Transformation Lab« will be established as a shared intellectual and physical space to promote collaboration among the researchers involved. The university is looking for a responsible, motivated and committed person for the Key Subject Area «Organizing in Times of Crisis» to fill the position of a Postdoctoral Research Associate with a background in Management or Business Administration (salary group EG 13 TV-L, as a full-time employee for a limited period until 31st August 2030 to start on 1st October 2025 or depending on your availability) We invite you to become part of an exciting community of highly motivated scholars and offer you the opportunity to advance your academic career as a postdoctoral researcher. You will be able to refine your own profile and build an international network by working with numerous professors, other postdocs, doctoral students and international fellows in a stimulating interdisciplinary setting. You will significantly further your field of study and its integration into the research agenda of «Embracing Transformation», thus positioning yourself as an expert in the highly dynamic and future-oriented field of transformation research as well as management and organization studies. To fully benefit from the purpose and value of collaborative and interdisciplinary research facilitated by a shared physical space, an adequate presence on campus is expected. The postdoctoral position for the KSA «Organizing in Times of Crisis» will be allocated to the Professorships of Entrepreneurship and Organization Studies (Prof. Dr. Elke Schüßler) and Organization Studies (Prof. Dr. Matthias Wenzel), the spokespersons of the KSA, depending on the candidate\’s profile and specific research interests. In addition to developing own research on KSA-related topics such as crisis-resilient organizations and institutions, the role of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and/or questions of time, temporality, future-making, and strategizing in crisis, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to assist in the coordination of the KSA. This entails both content-related work regarding the development of a research proposal in the focal area of the KSA and coordinative work in support of the KSA\’s group of doctoral students. The Postdoc will benefit from being integrated in the Leuphana Center for Organization and Social Transformation (LOST), a lively center for process- and practice-based organizational research with a strong international network and reputation, as well as regular workshops and events. Your tasks: Perform research on organizing, strategizing, entrepreneuring and innovating in times of crisis and, in doing so, contributing to the development of the Key Subject Area «Organizing in Times of Crisis» through topical knowledge and insights Contribute to the common objective of «Embracing Transformation» by analyzing, understanding and theorizing transformation processes and generating transformation knowledge Contribute to the development of the Key Subject Area «Organizing in Times of Crisis» drafting follow-up funding applications Advance your own academic career, e.g., by preparing for an assistant professorship or seeking funding for a junior research group Participate in and co-organize regular meetings and workshops Co-supervise doctoral students Contribute to teaching on themes related to «Organizing in Times of Crisis (2 German SWS = 1.5 regular teaching hours per week during the term) Your qualifications: Doctorate in one of the following fields: Management or Business Administration, ideally with a focus on Organization Theory Strong publication record in internationally renowned, field-specific journals, and regular participation and presentations of manuscripts at field-specific conferences (e.g., AoM, EGOS, SMS, SASE) Experience in empirical social research, typically demonstrated through corresponding doctoral projects or publications Ideally work experience in interdisciplinary contexts Interest in and enjoyment of empirical and theoretical work as well as scientific writing, the ability and willingness to develop and elaborate one\’s own research projects independently, willingness to discuss preliminary findings at national and international discipline-specific conferences and workshops, and the capacity for teamwork and self-understanding as being part of a mutually supportive research community Excellent written and oral communication skills in English to actively participate in English-speaking debates, teaching, reading groups, workshops, seminars, and research projects at business level; having an at least basic command of German is an advantage Strong personal initiative, excellent organizational skills, and ability to work in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams Our offer: An inspiring, cutting-edge collaborative research environment with multiple established and early-career scholars and scientists working together in an attractive modern university building designed by Daniel Libeskind Inclusion in the research-active Leuphana Center for Organization and Social Transformation (LOST) Green and inviting campus at the edge of the picturesque Hanseatic town of Lüneburg, close to the Northern German metropolis Hamburg Flexible and family-friendly working hours within a time frame between 6 am and 9 pm, including opportunities for remote working A wide range of additional (subsidized) benefits, such as continuing education, sporting activities, catering service for lunch and dinner, and a public transport ticket valid in the whole of Germany An additional company pension scheme through the Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder (VBL) Your application: For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Elke Schüßler (elke.schuessler@leuphana.de) and Prof. Dr. Matthias Wenzel (matthias.wenzel@leuphana.de). Leuphana University of Lüneburg promotes professional gender equality and heterogeneity among its members. Applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they have the same qualifications. Please also note our data protection information for applicants. Please be available on the 17th and 18th of July 2025 for job interviews on campus. We look forward to receiving your application, including a research concept of up to five pages that provides an overview of your research interests and preferred methodological approaches, the relevance of these interests to the theme of «Organizing in Times of Crisis», as well as the planned projects and research ambitions being pursued in the next four years. In addition, please include a CV (without photo) and a motivation letter in which you briefly describe (1) your qualifications, (2) how your envisaged research may contribute to the interdisciplinary concept and overall goals of «Embracing Transformation», and (3) how working in this setting will be beneficial for your own academic career. Please send it by the 29th of June 2025 digitally (summarized in a PDF file) or by post to: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Human Resources and Legal Affairs / Application Management Subject: Organizing in Times of Crisis PostDoc Universitätsallee 1 21335 Lüneburg jobs@leuphana.de