Background

The ECE program at IIASA is dedicated to addressing complex global challenges related to energy systems, climate change, and environmental sustainability. Within the program, the cities transformation research theme focuses on understanding and assessing transformation pathways in urban areas. As part of our ongoing efforts, we are seeking a highly qualified candidate to join our team and contribute to this important research agenda.

THE ROLE
The successful candidate will join the cities transformation research theme within the ECE Program, focusing on advancing the understanding and assessing low energy demand pathways. This role will involve contributing to the development and expansion of a city-scale agent-based model tailored to explore these pathways. Specifically, the candidate will engage in:

• Development and expansion of the BENCH agent-based model, an open-source ABM modeling framework, along with related software and datasets.
• Data gathering and complementary quantitative and qualitative analysis of various factors influencing low energy demand pathways, including individual behavioral and lifestyle changes, social and cultural dynamics, technological and infrastructural improvements and usage, and institutional and political contexts. This will involve examining policy levers and assessing their impacts on human wellbeing.
• Designing, implementing, and analyzing low energy demand scenarios, crafting narratives that incorporate the multifaceted phenomena mentioned above.
• Establishing model-to-model linkages, such as integrating sectoral demand models with Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelationships within the energy system.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of a conceptual comprehensive model of cities transformation by identifying relevant methods from the literature, sourcing appropriate data/measures from diverse sources, and implementing analysis with a high degree of rigor.
• Contribute to the development and expansion of a city-scale agent-based model, including but not limited to refining model architecture, integrating new features, and ensuring model validation.
• Collect, process, and manage large (spatial) datasets for model calibration, ex- and post-analysis, ensuring data integrity and quality throughout the process.
• Contribute to the application and development of low-energy demand scenarios, crafting narratives and conducting analyses to explore various pathways towards sustainable urban development.
• Engage in ongoing and future projects, collaborating with team members and external partners, and actively participate in external fundraising and grant applications related to cities transformation and low energy demand and their implications for broader sustainable development issues.

Appointment terms:

• The successful candidate should be available to take up the position as soon as possible in 2024. We offer an initial fixed-term, full-time employment contract for one year, with the possibility for extension thereafter.
• Eligible applicants wishing to work part-time hours may be considered.
• Duties will be carried out at the IIASA premises in Laxenburg, near Vienna in Austria (up to 100 days per year home office working within Austria possible).
• The successful candidate will be appointed in accordance with the IIASA profiles for research careers.

Apply here: https://iiasa.ac.at/employment/job-openings?jh=gohckm9qgzybbu2xwq48ddwfrd56lmf