PhD Circular Economies: Diverse articulations and the transition to a circular society

Welcome to Maastricht University!
The world is changing fast – and we are changing with it. Here, your work makes a difference. With the start of an exciting initiative to accelerate the regional circular transition, the Expertise Centre on Regional Circular Economy (ERCE) has been started. The Centre will act as a key player in the regional ecosystem that seeks to develop a circular society, developing insight that can be translated to other regions worldwide.

PhD Circular Economies: Diverse articulations and the transition to a circular society

• Our goal: Advance the regional circular transition by exploring how diverse articulations of circularity shape real-world change.
• Your colleagues: A collaborative, interdisciplinary team within ERCE, connected to researchers across UM, and supervised by Prof. dr. Frank Boons (SBE) and Prof. dr. Harro van Lente (FASoS).

This PhD project investigates the many ways in which social actors articulate circularity and how these evolving meanings influence transitions in practice. Rather than asking what circularity is, you will explore how circularity is enacted on the ground – from mobility networks to food systems, housing, healthcare and beyond. Your work will include longitudinal field research in emerging circular initiatives that participate in ERCE.

By tracing how articulations of circularity coexist, conflict, merge or transform over time, you will generate conceptual and empirical insights that support citizens, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors in navigating the circular transition. You will join ERCE in its start-up phase, helping build a centre where academic research meets regional strategy and impact.

Are you ready to help shape what circularity can be? We’d love to meet you.

What you do

• Develop a theoretically grounded empirical analysis of the regional circular transition, with a focus on diverse articulations of circularity.
• Engage in co-creation projects through ERCE together with regional partners.
• Contribute to teaching activities within the MSI teaching portfolio.
• Help build a thriving knowledge and impact centre with local and international visibility.

What you bring

We are not looking for checkboxes — we want to know who you are and how you think. Do you recognise yourself here?

• A completed MSc or MA in social sciences (e.g. sociology, social geography, innovation studies, political economy).
• Affinity with circular economy concepts and practices, and enthusiasm for exploratory, conceptual work.
• Strong qualitative research skills, including data interpretation and synthesis.
• A collaborative mindset, with proven experience working in interdisciplinary settings.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, for academic and public audiences.
• Dutch language skills, or willingness to acquire them during the appointment.
• A curious, resilient and positive attitude, especially when building something new.
  
  

What we offer

At Maastricht University, you will join an international, open and engaged academic community. We offer:

• A 12-month contract with the prospect of a 3 year extension, based on mutual satisfaction. With a scope of 1.0 FTE.
• A gross monthly salary between €3.059,- and €3.881,-  (based on 38 hours per week), plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the School of Business and Economics (SBE)

SBE is an international faculty for economics, business, and policy. We combine academic depth with societal engagement. Our education is small-scale and interactive. Our research focuses on themes such as sustainability, inclusion, and digital transformation. Together, we work on impactful solutions for the world of tomorrow.

Interested?

Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Frank Boons at f.boons@maastrichtuniversity.nl or Laura Daniels (Recruiter) with questions about the process via laura.daniels@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

You can also apply directly using the button below, by uploading your CV, motivation letter and grade list, before January 4th 2026.

We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University

At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.