Key Subject Area “Companies as drivers of sustainability transformations”: Doctoral Research Associate with a background in Management or Psychology
28.05.2025
As a humanistic, sustainable and action-oriented university, Leuphana University of Lüneburg stands for innovation in education and science. Methodological diversity, interdisciplinary cooperation, transdisciplinary cooperation with practice-based partners and an overall dynamic development characterize its research profile in the fields of culture, education, management & technology, public affairs, and sustainability. With the university-wide research development program “Embracing Transformation through research, education and knowledge transfer” (in short “Embracing Transformation”) Leuphana aims to establish itself as a leading university for the analysis and critical reflection of transformation processes. More than one hundred researchers at various career levels will collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment to generate transformation knowledge that empowers individuals and communities to manage societal challenges and develop solutions for the common good.
Visit our website to learn more about the five Key Subject Areas that are involved in the project: “Climate Futures in Digital Cultures”, “Companies das 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 “Companies as drivers of sustainability transformations” to fill the position of a
Doctoral Research Associate with a background in Management or Psychology
(salary group EG 13 TV-L, with 75 % of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee for a limited period of 4 years to start on 1 October 2025 or depending on your availability)
We invite you to become part of an exciting community of scholars and offer you the opportunity to advance your academic career by pursuing a doctorate. You will be able to refine your own disciplinary profile and work with a great number of participating Leuphana professors, postdocs, other doctoral researchers and international fellows in a stimulating interdisciplinary setting. You will thereby build an international network for the advancement of your career 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 Key Subject Area “Companies as drivers of sustainability transformations” focuses on positive contributions of organizations and entrepreneurship in driving sustainability transformations of markets and society. Adopting a dual perspective, the area examines sustainability transformations by analyzing key management levers for effectively enabling these transformations and by focusing on key transformation areas where change is essential to achieve sustainable development. These transformation areas include the organization itself, market offerings and consumption dynamics, and the broader societal and natural business environment. A central goal of the Key Subject Area is to translate scientific findings into effective, evidence-based interventions to promote sustainability transformations. We are seeking to appoint a candidate who conducts research on psychological aspects of managing sustainability transformations of organizations. The candidate must have an outstanding master’s certificate from the field of management and/or psychology with a documented strong sustainability interest. The candidate shall have the ability to conduct state-of-the art quantitative research methods, ideally in combination with qualitative methods. The doctoral researcher will become team member of the Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) and collaborate with the research team of Prof. Stefan Schaltegger, Prof. Roman Trötschel, and Prof. Ulf Hahnel.
Your tasks:
- Write a cumulative doctoral dissertation with papers published in acknowledged international academic journals. The PhD thesis in the intersection of management and psychology should focus on “psychological processes of managing corporate sustainability transformations”.
- Contribute to the common objective of “Embracing Transformation” by analyzing transformation processes and generating transformation knowledge
- Contribute to the development of the Key Subject Area “Companies as drivers of sustainability transformations” and to drafting major follow-up funding applications
- Advance your own academic career, preparing for e.g. a postdoc position
- Participate in and co-organize regular meetings and workshops
- Contribute to teaching on the topics of the Key Subject Area (amounting to 1 German SWS = 0.75 hours regular teaching time per week during the term)
Your qualifications:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in one of the following fields: management and/or psychology
- Interest in and/or focus on (corporate) sustainability management
- Ideally, experience in interdisciplinary contexts
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English (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
- 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. Stefan Schaltegger (stefan.schaltegger@leuphana.de) and/or Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahnel (ulf.hahnel@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 proposal and outline of your research interests on up to three pages. 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 project 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: Companies as drivers Doc
Universitätsallee 1
21335 Lüneburg