EUROPEAN^{}[] UNIVERSITY^{}[] ^{}[] INSTITUTE
Department of Political and Social Sciences
The European University Institute’s mandate – as set out in Article 2 of its founding Convention – is to contribute, collectively and individually, to the development of the cultural and scientific heritage of Europe, through “teaching and research at the highest university level” while also developing “interdisciplinary research programmes on the major issues confronting contemporary European society”, and to act as a “forum for the exchange and discussion of ideas and experience”. Academic excellence, interdisciplinarity, and public engagement have always been the foundation of the EUI.
The European University Institute is looking for candidates to fill the post of
Programme Director in Intergenerational Fairness
The Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) at the European University Institute (EUI) is seeking applicants for the position of Programme Director to lead work on the urgent challenge of intergenerational fairness in a Europe marked by inequality, technological disruption, and demographic change.
Policymakers currently lack a robust conceptual foundation for intergenerational fairness, a reliable empirical basis for assessing it, and comprehensive policy responses. Addressing this gap requires the development of a conceptual framework grounded in the capability approach and in the idea of decluttering disadvantages across the life course. Building on this foundation, an intersectional indicator of intergenerational fairness will be developed to enable transparent, multidimensional comparisons across countries and social groups.
This research programme will include a comprehensive analysis of how inequality, technological change, and demographic pressures interact to shape fairness outcomes across cohorts and over the life course, identifying where opportunities arise and where vulnerabilities accumulate. It will also involve the formulation of a coherent policy framework informed by the social investment approach, integrating these insights into stock, flow, and buffer policy packages that offer policymakers actionable reform strategies tailored to diverse national contexts.
The objective is to produce a distinctive set of outputs: new comparative datasets and indicators; tools for stress-testing reforms under varying macroeconomic conditions; and a Social Investment Action Plan illustrating how European welfare states can renew solidarity between generations. Through citizen deliberation and structured co-creation with policymakers and social partners, the resulting proposals will be designed to be both scientifically rigorous and socially legitimate. With this integrated approach, tools, data, and policy solutions will be generated that will enhance social and economic resilience and sustainability, promote inclusive growth, and reduce vulnerabilities in order to safeguard intergenerational fairness.
EUI EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE
The Programme Director will provide the overall coordination of the research programme, including coordination of research activities, partners and team members, to ensure the successful delivery of objectives within the project timelines. The role combines programme management with active research responsibilities, including conducting research activities, preparing and delivering scientific outputs and reports, and overseeing the dissemination of scientific outputs, including presenting findings at international conferences and other scientific events.
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Political Science, with a focus on Political Economy, and have significant experience in conducting research in the field of comparative political economy and in the acquisition of external research funds. They will demonstrate expertise in the political economy of inequality, technological change, welfare state reforms, and social investment in the European context, with particular attention to how structural transformations shape social policy and intergenerational fairness. They will demonstrate a strong command of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Experience in comparative cross-national research and working within large international research projects will be considered an advantage. The candidate will also possess a track-record of research publications in the field, research dissemination and policy engagement beyond academia, including experience translating research findings into policy recommendations and engaging with policymakers and other stakeholders.
The EUI is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to descriptive, intellectual, and institutional diversity. We find such diversity to be a source of enrichment and strongly encourage applications from the most diverse pool of candidates.
Interested applicants should consult Open competitions for academic posts • European University Institute (eui.eu) for further particulars.
Deadline for receipt of applications: 31 August 2026.
Please note that the EUI will be closed from 3 to 16 August 2026 (inclusive). Any queries received during this period will be addressed upon the Institute's reopening.
CONTACT
Riitta Honkanen-Vaheri
Director
Human Resources Service
Tel: +39 055 4685533
E-mail: applypro@eui.eu
Internet: https://www.eui.eu
European University Institute
Via dei Roccettini 9
I-50014 San Domenico di Fiesole
ITALY