Doctoral Scholarship Position in Circular Economy

Offer

UCLouvain is offering a Doctoral Scholarship Position in Circular Economy

Job Id : SF  38458
Internal and external job posting until 30 June 2026

For the Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations of Social sciences and humanities sector
Main campus :  Louvain-la-Neuve
Fixed-term, full-time (100%) two-year contract, renewable once if conditions are met
Starting date : 01/09/2026

Introduction

Today, transition to a circular economy is a major challenge for the competitiveness and sustainability of businesses. In Wallonia and Brussels, small businesses are the backbone of the economic, yet they still lack the tools, knowledge, and benchmarks needed to turn circularity into a strategic advantage. This gap hinders their capacity for innovation and limits the positive impact that the circular transition could generate at the regional level. Drawing on empirical and applied research, this project aims to concretely analyze how circularity is integrated into SMEs, measure its economic and social outcomes, and develop practical solutions tailored to their specificities.

Objectives

Building upon literature ranging across several disciplines (e.g. finance, strategy, accounting…), this project uses a multistakeholder, mixed-method approach to:

• Measure how small businesses in Wallonia and Brussels can become pioneers of the circular economy
• Quantify the economic, social, and environmental drivers that transform circularity into a competitive advantage
• Co-design with volunteer businesses practical and innovative tools to measure and manage their circular performance
• Experiment with these tools in "living laboratories" bringing together SMEs, public stakeholders, and academics.
• Disseminate validated practices at the regional level and contribute to European sustainability objectives.

Job description

The researcher will be supervised by Professor James Thewissen and Professor Maxence Postaire. The successful candidate is expected to:

• conduct scientific research (in the aforementioned domain) with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate. To obtain the doctoral degree, the candidate must follow and pass the doctoral training provided by the Doctoral School of Management;
• present results at international conferences;
• publish results in outstanding scientific journals (ABS ranking);
• participate in the activities of the Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations (LouRIM)

Required qualifications and skills

We seek highly motivated candidates with a MSc degree (obtained with honors; magna cum laude as a minimum or with highest honours with a minimum grade of 16/20) in business engineering, management, engineering or related fields. Specifically, we are looking for candidates who:

• have a strong affinity/interest for business issues related to circular economy;
• show an interest in conducting fundamental and applied research;
• are familiar with social science methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative;
• have excellent scientific writing, presentation skills and social skills;
• are proficient in English and French, knowledge of Dutch would be a asset;
• with a strong sense of teamwork, initiative, and integrity.

Work environment

The successful candidate will work for UCLouvain, at the campus in Louvain-la-Neuve, in a dynamic and stimulating environment. The candidate will be attached to the LouRIM.

LouRIM is devoted to theoretical and applied, empirical and experimental studies of management of private and public organizations, including but not limited to research on internal and external functional management processes that are present in all organizations. Since management by itself is characterized by its multiple facets, dynamics and interdependence with resource, process and product development, the science of management requires multiple approaches in terms of functional orientation, research methodology and focus. This is why the Institute mobilizes around 30 faculty members and 70 researchers from the fields of economics, information system science, operations research, psychology and sociology to address management questions of societal and economic relevance. Besides the organization of research activities, endowed research chairs and sponsored research, LouRIM coordinates information about the Doctoral School of Management with around 70 active doctoral students and around 10 doctoral degrees awarded each year.

Application process

Application package shall include:

• Cover letter showing the candidate’s motivation and eligibility for the position;
• CV showing the candidate’s past experience and expertise in the research area;
• A short 1-page proposal for a research plan relevant to the present position;
• Copy of diploma and list of grades
• One recommendation letter, to be sent directly by the person recommending the candidate.

Qualified applicants should send their application material (a single PDF document containing all files) by email to Prof. Dr. James Thewissen (james.thewissen@uclouvain.be), and Prof. Dr. Maxence Postaire (maxence.postaire@uclouvain.be). Incomplete applications will automatically be rejected.

Applications should be received by June 30, 2026, at the latest.

IMPORTANT NOTES: The call will be closed as soon as we have found the right candidate!

Apply as early as you can!