Research Associate (f_m_x) - "Geopolitics, Decarbonisation and the Weaponisation of Energy"

The Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS) conducts research with the aim of investigating, identifying, and advancing development pathways for transformation processes towards sustainability in Germany and abroad. The institute was founded in 2009 as the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and has been affiliated with the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences under its new name since the 1st of January 2023 and is thus part of the Helmholtz Association.

For our research group Geopolitics of Energy and Industrial Transformation, we are looking for a:

Research Associate (f_m_x) - "Geopolitics, Decarbonisation and the Weaponisation of Energy"

Reference Number 11380

As decarbonisation reshapes global energy systems, new asymmetric interdependencies are emerging along cross-border electricity and hydrogen networks, green value chains, critical minerals, and clean technology supply chains. Against this background, the project entitled "Geopolitics, Decarbonisation and the Weaponisation of Energy", and financed by the Federal Foreign Office, analyses the geopolitical risks arising from international dependencies in the energy sector and develops concrete strategies for resilience-building in the context of Germany's energy transition. The project involves in-depth country case studies, a conceptual risk-mapping framework, and a structured policy dialogue with stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society to generate high-quality analytical outputs, which will be published in scientific and policy-oriented outlets.

Your responsibilities:

• Conduct empirically-driven and interdisciplinary research in the realm of the global energy transition with a particular focus on questions of geopolitics, geoeconomics, international political economy, global policy and governance.
• Conduct in-depth country studies on the energy policy and geopolitical strategies of key countries in collaboration with external research partners.
• Conduct a risk assessment for selected energy carriers and technologies relevant to Germany.
• Develop and implement an expert survey on stakeholders' risk perceptions.
• Plan and implement dialogue events and focus group discussions with think tanks and stakeholders with the support of a team of student assistants and the RIFS events team.
• Contribute to joint publications in peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs, blogs, and other outlets.
• Communicate the results to decision-makers in the policy world, business and public bodies, as well as on social media.
• Represent the project at conferences and events and within the project consortium

About You:

Essential Qualifications:

• Master's degree in political science/political economy, economics, innovation, development studies or related fields
• Interest in, and where relevant, experience of, empirically grounded, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary research in the field of the global energy transition, with a particular focus on issues relating to geopolitics, geoeconomics, international political economy, global politics and governance
• Good knowledge in the area of the global energy transition
• Experience with policy processes and/or policy/political economy analysis
• Distinct skills in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods
• Ability to work independently, creatively, and effectively
• Commitment to teamwork
• Very good command of English

Desirable Qualifications:

• German language skills are a plus
• Readiness to travel internationally for the project

What we offer:

• Ambitious and varied tasks in a dynamic and international research environment
• State-of-the-art equipment
• Public service benefits
• Extensive training opportunities
• Professional career advice offered by our in-house Career-Centre [not applicable for non-scientific positions]
• Flexible working hours and conditions
• Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work
• Work at the RIFS campus, Berliner Strasse 130, 14467 Potsdam

Start date: As soon as possible
Fixed-term: 36 months
Salary: The position is classed as salary group 13 according to "TVöD Bund ". The salary group is determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and the respective personal qualifications.
Working hours: Part-time 75% (currently 29.25 h/week)
Place of work: Potsdam

Have we piqued your interest?

If so, we look forward to receiving your application by 2nd August 2026. Please use our online application form only.
Required documents: Letter of motivation, CV, copies of certificates and a writing sample (e.g. a peer-reviewed article or a term paper). Interviews are scheduled to take place in person on 21st and 26th August.
Important Technical Note: Currently, email addresses associated with domains such as @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, or @live.de may experience occasional delays or restrictions in receiving messages. To ensure smooth communication during the application process, we recommend using an alternative email address and providing an additional contact method (e.g., a phone number).Diversity and equal opportunities are integral components of our human resources policy.

The RIFS actively promotes diversity and explicitly welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnic and social origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion/belief, age and physical characteristics. Anyone who has been recognised as severely disabled will be given preferential consideration in the event of equal suitability and qualification in accordance with the provisions of the German Social Code IX. If you have any further queries regarding gender equality, please do not hesitate to contact our Equal Opportunities Officer.

'Diversity in perspectives' is a high value for us. As an integral part of supporting diversity at our centre, we actively promote women in science and in leadership positions. We, among others, do this through our gender equality plan and the cascade model measures, which we actively implement to enable sustainable equal opportunities in academic career paths. We are thus committedly strives for gender equality in science, including in leadership positions, and strongly encourages women to apply.

Data protection information for applicants

In case of any further queries regarding the field of activity, please contact Laima Eicke via email. If you have any general questions about the application process, please contact our recruiting team at our phone number +49 (0) 331-6264-28787.