Doctoral/Ph.D. Student in Economics (m/f/d) (TV-L E13, 75%)

The Professorship of Environmental Economics (TUM), Campus Weihenstephan, invites applications for a PhD position in Economics within the research project WETTER (Water Efficiency through Technology, Targeting, and Experimental Research), funded by the Joachim Herz Prize 2026. The position is expected to start in February 2027. The appointment is initially for 36 months, with the possibility of extension.

The Professorship of Environmental Economics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Campus Weihenstephan, invites applications for a PhD position in Economics within the research project WETTER (Water Efficiency through Technology, Targeting, and Experimental Research), funded by the Joachim Herz Prize 2026. The position is expected to start in February 2027. The appointment is initially for 36 months, with the possibility of extension. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate interested in conducting large-scale field experiments (RCTs) at the intersection of behavioral and environmental economics, with a particular focus on sustainable household behavior.

About Us

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s leading research universities and a longstanding member of Germany’s Excellence Initiative. With its strong interdisciplinary research environment and close collaboration with industry and policy institutions, TUM provides an outstanding setting for academic research. The TUM School of Management consistently ranks among the leading business schools in Europe.

What We Offer

• An excellent research environment at one of Europe’s leading universities
• Salary according to the German public sector pay scale (TV-L E13, 75%)
• The opportunity to work on a large-scale, policy-relevant research project
• No teaching obligations, but teaching opportunities are available
• Funding for research activities, conference participation, and doctoral training
• Close academic supervision, mentoring, and regular feedback
• Integration into the doctoral program of the TUM School of Management (https://www.mgt.tum.de/de/faculty-research/doctoral-program) Requirements
• Master’s degree in economics or a related discipline with very good results
• Strong background in econometrics, causal inference, and empirical research methods
• Experience in managing, processing, and analyzing large-scale datasets using R, Python or Stata
• Fluency in spoken and written English

Application Please submit your application documents in a single PDF file (including a one-page cover letter outlining your experience and research interests, a CV, and academic transcripts) to sebastian.tonke@tum.de with the subject line “PHD WETTER”. In addition, one letter of recommendation should be sent directly by the letter writer to the same email address. The application deadline is 15th November 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Equal Opportunity

As part of the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments, TUM has been pursuing the strategic goal of substantially increasing the diversity of its staff. As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, TUM explicitly encourages nominations of and applications from women as well as from all others who would bring additional diversity dimensions to the university’s research and teaching strategies. Preference will be given to candidates with disabilities with essentially the same qualifications.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Tonke, TUM School of Management & School of Life Sciences, Professorship for Environmental Economics, Alte Akademie 16, 85354 Freising, Germany

The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance.

Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.

Kontakt: sebastian.tonke@tum.de

More Information