Job Details

Postdoctoral Associate, Institute for Global Sustainability

Position Number: 6807799
Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

Postdoctoral Associate, Institute for Global Sustainability

Job Description
Postdoctoral Associate, Institute for Global Sustainability

Category
Charles River Campus --> Postdoctoral
Job Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Tracking Code
25599936761219
Posted Date
12/19/2025
Minimum Salary
$67,500.00
Maximum Salary
$70,000.00

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, training and internal pay comparison. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Type
Full-Time/Regular

The Future is Electric But?
Postdoctoral Research Position on Socio-Technical Barriers and Opportunities for Electrification of Infrastructure

Position Overview
The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (BU-IGS), in close collaboration with Schneider Electric's Sustainability Research Institute, invites applications for a prestigious two-year postdoctoral research fellowship. The focus is on advancing our understanding of the socio-technical barriers, risks, and drivers necessary to accelerate the electrification of the economy and explore the benefits, barriers, and risks to electrical infrastructure. This position offers the opportunity to conduct impactful research at the intersection of energy transitions, social science, and energy and climate policy with direct relevance to the rapid global shift toward electrification.

The fellow will investigate the operational, regulatory, social, and economic challenges facing the emergence of the "Electrostate": a deeply electrified society requiring robust transmission, distribution, interconnection, and distributed energy resource networks. The research will specifically target under-studied, and high-impact sectors which represent a substantial share of future electricity demand, emissions reductions, and unique cross-sectoral barriers.

Electrification and Decarbonization Imperatives
Net-zero and deep decarbonization targets require transformational electrification across entire sectors such as aviation, shipping, and data centers. However, even as technologies mature, persistent social, procedural, regulatory, and infrastructural barriers slow adoption. Real-life constraints, which range from long grid interconnection queues and cost overruns, to limited public support and stakeholder fragmentation, are emerging as greater obstacles than the technology itself.

Research Vision
The research project will involve three interconnected phases over two years. Phase 1 will begin with (a) systematic literature reviews mapping different aspects of electrification including technical readiness, growth trajectories, emissions profiles, and existing barrier/driver/risk scholarship. This phase has the potential to yield a comparative taxonomy distinguishing cross-cutting challenges from sector-specific ones, culminating in a conceptual framework to guide subsequent empirical work with attention to utilities.

The second phase will focus on (b) stakeholder engagement through semi-structured interviews with critical actors in selected sectors, informed by the systematic literature reviews. Thematic analysis will capture how different stakeholders perceive barriers and risks, revealing both points of alignment and tension while mapping influence networks to identify strategic intervention opportunities.

The third phase employs (c) technology foresight methods and futures thinking with malleability to the interest and expertise of the candidate. We aim to utilize some combination of expert workshops or public focus groups to explore how emerging trends, and disruptive technologies might reshape visions of the future concerning electrification pathways. Comparing expert and public visions could illuminate democratic tensions in energy governance and inform practical engagement strategies.

Key Objectives

Compile a database of electrification stakeholders for expert interviews, illustrating influence networks and typologies across key sectors
Offer a systematic comparison of barriers, drivers, and risks in three "next frontier" sectors for electrification
Advance theory (and potentially methodology) for studying socio-technical transitions in multi-stakeholder systems, with a focus on practical intervention points
Create actionable frameworks for stakeholder engagement and public communication in high-stakes energy infrastructure contexts
Develop dynamic foresight on disruptive and converging trends in electrification adoption and capture emergent visions of futures

We seek candidates with exceptional research skills and training in the social sciences, policy, economics, environmental studies, or related fields examining complex sociotechnical systems. You will have strong methodological expertise which may include analyzing large literature reviews, designing representative surveys, conducting interviews, facilitating focus groups, and critically examining quantitative and qualitative data. We welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds that can speak to electrification from perspectives spanning political science, public policy, energy geography, sociology, anthropology, strategic management, environmental economics, energy economics, climate change governance and justice, science and technology studies, or related areas.

Mixed-methods expertise is a competitive advantage within this role to support a holistic analysis of the institutional dynamics, stakeholder perceptions, and behavioral contexts impeding "electrostate" transitions. A successful postdoctoral researcher will triangulate findings from across critical literature syntheses, expert elicitation, surveys, focus groups, and advanced statistical or coding analyses. You may also bring specialized skills in tools like NVivo, SPSS, Stata, R, or Python to rigorously evaluate evidence.

This highly interdisciplinary project also demands substantive topical literacy in sociotechnical transitions to contextualize findings and engage stakeholders. You will take the lead in day-to-day research activities from literature searches to final publications and policy engagements. An advisory committee will provide mentorship and oversight. You will be based full-time at Boston University's Institute for Global Sustainability located along the scenic Charles River with access to shared office space, meeting rooms, and research amenities.

Ideal candidates will already have work authorization in the United States. The postdoctoral researcher should start full-time work as soon as possible, ideally before July 2026.

What This Fellowship Offers

Research Leadership: Ownership of a high-visibility project with leading academic and industry partners.
Professional Development: Access to BU and Schneider training, mentorship, networks, and funding for conferences/publications.
Community: Deep engagement with Boston/Cambridge's sustainability research community.
Career Support: Guidance for both academic/postdoc and non-academic next steps.
Impact: Chance to deliver insights driving actual public policy and industry practice in sectors at the heart of the energy transition.
Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience ranging from $67,500-$70,000 USD per year; generous benefits package including healthcare options

The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability and the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute are equal opportunity employers dedicated to hiring underrepresented minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates.

Required Skills

A completed PhD (or completion at appointment) in a relevant social science or interdisciplinary field (e.g., sociology, political science, public policy, geography, environmental studies, STS, or sustainability science).

Demonstrated expertise in qualitative research (systematic reviews, interviews, stakeholder analysis, and software such as NVivo/Atlas.ti).
Deep familiarity with socio-technical systems, sustainability transitions, or energy infrastructure governance.
Strong research and academic writing track record with publications reflecting interdisciplinary rigor.
Preferred Qualifications
Mixed-methods expertise (including surveys, Q-methodology, and foresight/horizon scanning).
Topical knowledge or experience within a focus sectors (aviation, shipping, data centers), grid/infrastructure, DER, or industrial decarbonization.
Background in stakeholder engagement design, facilitation, or participatory workshops.
Understanding of energy systems models or technical aspects of electrification (for effective boundary-spanning with engineering disciplines).
Experience with comparative or international research, ideally including North America and select global cases.

To apply:

Please email the following materials bundled as PDF attachments to Prof. Benjamin Sovacool at sovacool@bu.edu:

Cover letter articulating qualifications and motivation
CV detailing academic background, relevant research methods expertise, publications, and presentations
Optional at this time in the application: sample of writing demonstrating research capabilities
Optional at this time in the application: letters of recommendation

Applications will be reviewed on February 27, 2026, then on a rolling basis if needed until March 27, 2026. Candidates with strong alignment to the technical scope and methodological approach may be invited for interviews or further discussion. We aim to extend an offer during February-June 2026 for an intended postdoctoral researcher start date before July 2026.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Job Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular
Salary Grade: $67,500.00-$70,000.00

To apply, visit https://jobs.silkroad.com/BU/Faculty/jobs/316225