Postdoc in Environmental Assessment and Decision Support for Offshore Wind Farms

Aalborg University invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position at the Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) Department of Sustainability and Planning. The position is part of the EU-funded project SUSTAINOW which aims to support a sustainable expansion of offshore wind energy by strengthening how environmental and social considerations are integrated into planning and decision-making.
As a postdoc you will work at the interface between research and practice and contribute to the development of decision-support approaches that help planners and authorities address environmental social and cumulative impacts of offshore wind farms.
The position is full-time and based in Aalborg with employment starting on 15 August 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job description
You will be employed as a postdoc at the Department of Sustainability andPlanning and affiliated with DCEA which coordinates the SUSTAINOW project. You will contribute to the development testing and application of a prototype decision-support tool for offshore wind planning.

Your main tasks will include collaborating with researchers and partners on:

• Contributing to the design and development of a decision-support prototype focusing on environmental and social impacts
• Integrating knowledge on environmental socio-economic cumulative and large-scale impacts to support decision-making
• Applying and testing the prototype in real offshore wind planning and development processes in the North Sea
• Assessing transferability of the approach to other European sea basins
  Developing recommendations for integrating sustainability criteria into tendering and permitting processes
• Collaborating with international project partners and participating in project meetings and workshops
• Disseminating results through conferences scientific publications and practice-oriented outputs

Teaching and supervision are not required but may be possible depending on qualifications.

The position is office-based in Aalborg and you are expected to be present at the department most days to take part in the daily life and community of the centre.

Qualification requirements
Applicants must have or be close to completing a PhD in environmental assessment planning environmental studies sustainability science or a related field.

Applicants are expected to:

• Have experience with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA) or related decision-support approaches
• Have an interest in environmental and social impacts of plans and projects including cumulative and distributional effects
• Be familiar with qualitative methods such as interviews document analysis case studies and stakeholder workshops
• Be open to collaborate with practitioners and contribute to both academic and practice-oriented outputs
• Publish in international peer-reviewed journals
• Experience with offshore wind or marine impacts is an advantage but experience from related fields (e.g. renewable energy planning coastal and marine management) is also relevant. Advanced numerical modelling or programming skills are not required.

The position is suitable for both recently graduated PhD candidates and applicants with postdoctoral experience.

Language requirements
The working language of the project and the department is English. Applicants must therefore be proficient in spoken and written English. Danish language skills are not required for this position.

About the workplace
The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) is Denmarks leading research centre within environmental assessment. The centre conducts research at the intersection of assessment practice decision-making and governance and works in close collaboration with public authorities private organisations and civil society.

DCEA is part of the Department of Planning at Aalborg University which conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainable transitions green energy and department of Sustainability and Planning was established in 1975 and is located in two beautiful harbour-front locations in both Aalborg and Copenhagen. We have more than 250 employees and approximately 1200 students across the two cities.

Our research and study programmes are rooted in sustainability and the green transition. This means we conduct research in areas such as the circular economy technology urban energy and environmental planning as well as sustainable transition and design. Sustainability is central to our work in environmental assessment and marine surveying and land use sustainability is reflected in our efforts in nature restoration and climate adaptation.

As society continues to develop digitally we also focus on responsible technological development addressing real-life challenges. Our problem-oriented approach and close collaboration with businesses and public organisations form the foundation of all our study programmes. Additionally our engineering programmes are among the best in Europe.

You can read more on TECH as a workplace here.
You can read more on Department of Sustainability and Planning here.

You may obtain further professional information from Associate Professor Ivar Lyhne

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application stating reasons for applying qualifications in relation to the position and intentions and visions for the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (masters degree diploma and PhD diploma)
• List of publications with an indication of the attached publications that you wish to be taken into account in the assessment. Youmay attach a maximum of five publications.
• Documentation of teaching qualifications if relevant.
• Dissemination qualifications including participation on committees or boards participation in organisations etc.
• Additional qualifications in relation to the position
• References/recommendations

You can read more about the requirements for your application here.

The application must be submitted via Aalborg Universitys recruitment system which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg Universitys website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore everyone regardless of personal background and orientation is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions
If you have any questions about the position you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here

The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process. You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires ensuring the safety compliance and integrity of the workplace.

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (only in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (only in Danish).

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers students and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights new solutions to societal problems and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.