Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) has a vacancy for a postdoctoral Researcher/Projectmanager in the project FIRMBACKBONE (FBB). The project team of researchers consists of Prof. dr. Wolter Hassink (UU/ U.S.E.), Prof. dr. Arjen van Witteloostuijn (VU/ SBE), Prof. dr. Daniel Oberski (UU/ FSW) en dr. Peter Gerbrands (UU/ U.S.E.). Tasks include external communication through maintaining contacts with various external partners of FBB, the maintenance of the Website, setting up FBB community and holding external presentations on FBB.

The project FIRMBACKBONE is initiated and carried out by Utrecht University (UU) and VU University (VU) Amsterdam. FIRMBACKBONE is funded by PDI-SSH. The goal of FIRMBACKBONE is to build an organically growing, longitudinal data infrastructure with information about Dutch companies for scientific research and education. The digitization of society and our economy has enabled new methods of collecting and analyzing data from companies. Such digital data is both detailed (i.e. deep) and long (i.e. over time) in size and it offers great potential for creating new economic insights and applications. However, academic researchers and students in (applied) economics and adjacent areas (e.g., strategy, management, entrepreneurship, economic geography, history) currently do not have access to a comprehensive and longitudinal data source on Dutch companies. Common complaints are that such data are too expensive for researchers to obtain and not user-friendly. A 'backbone' is created containing a list of company names and numbers that are publicly accessible. We will enrich the data with additional public information by, for example, web scraping of company websites and by working together with data suppliers. As soon as FIRMBACKBONE is ready, it will be accessible via SANE, the Secure Analysis Environment of ODISSEI and SURF. Cooperation with ODISSEI ensures adequate data protection, governance and long-term sustainability of the project.

The successful candidate has affinity with education research. Command of fluent spoken and written Dutch and having a PhD is an advantage.

We offer a temporary position 0.2 FTE for 2.5 year in an international working environment. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between € 2,960,- and € 5,439 (scale 10 or 11 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year.

In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance is a faculty at the heart of society, with a strong focus on social issues. Our subjects of Law, Economics and Governance give us a strong mix of academic disciplines that complement and enhance each other. This is a unique combination and a mark of our faculty's strength. The faculty is located  in the historical city centre of Utrecht.

The candidate will become a member of the Applied Economics Section at the Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.). U.S.E. is part of the Law, Economics, and Governance Faculty of Utrecht University. U.S.E. aims to contribute to an economy where people flourish, by taking a broad view on welfare and its causes. We aspire to be an internationally renowned school of economics, with scientifically rigorous and societally relevant research and education. We enrich economics with other disciplines to better solve problems and identify opportunities, from a business and government point of view. Wellbeing, cooperation, innovation and curiosity are our core values. 

U.S.E. maintains an excellent international network of academic relationships and is continuously working on extending this network. It teaches its curricula fully in English. Watch the Real World Perspective for an impression of the Utrecht University School of Economics.