The Department of Strategy & Entrepreneurship is looking for 1-2 PhD students in the field of strategy and entrepreneurship.  The department focuses its research activities on four broad areas: 

1. corporate and international strategy, 
2. organizational learning, collaboration and innovation within and across firms, 
3. links between strategy, organizational environment and performance, 
4. startup and corporate entrepreneurship. 

Candidates with solid training in management theory and research methods are encouraged to apply.  
As a PhD student, you will be an integral part of the department, and you will benefit from a supportive, pluralistic, and intellectually inspiring environment.

PhD candidates will be employed by Tilburg University and the appointment is intended to lead to the completion of a PhD dissertation.  During the first year, you will receive extensive tailor-made training in theory and methods by taking several PhD-level courses, in combination with research training by your PhD supervisors.  There will be no teaching responsibilities during this first year.  After the first year there will be a formal GO/NO GO decision.  For the remaining three years, 80% of the position’s time will be dedicated to the completion of your PhD research, and 20% to the acquisition of pedagogical skills through teaching courses and supervising master/bachelor theses within the department.

For more detailed information on potential research topics and the course program, please have a look at: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/research/economics-and-management/graduate-school/phd-business/strategy-and-organization

1. An academic master’s or MPhil/Research Master’s degree in a relevant field.
2. Completed the previous university degrees with an excellent GPA (top 10% of class).
3. Proficiency in English to be proven by means of an IELTS score of at least 7.0, with no sub-scores below 6.5, or a TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet based) or 600 (paper based).  Exemptions can be provided upon request to native English speakers or to candidates who have obtained their bachelor’s and master’s degrees fully taught in English in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, or New Zealand.
4. For candidates from a university outside Europe: a recent GRE or GMAT test score of at most two years old.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Tilburg University is rated among the top Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment. The appointment will be for the total of 48 months. The selected candidate will initially be appointed for 18 months, with an extension for the following 30 months based on a positive evaluation. The evaluation will take place after about 14 months.

The appointed PhD candidate will be an employee of Tilburg University.  The starting gross salary is € 2,770 per month (for a full-time appointment) in the first year, up to € 3,539 in the final year. In addition, there is a holiday allowance (8% of the annual salary, in May), and end-of-year bonus (8.3% of the annual salary, in December). 

All university employees are covered by the so-called civil servants pension fund (ABP). Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The university will apply for such an allowance on their behalf. The university offers very good fringe benefits (it is one of the best non-profit employers in the Netherlands), such as an options model for terms and conditions of employment and reimbursement of moving expenses.

Tilburg University

Tilburg University is one of Europe’s leading universities in the fields of business and economics, ranking #5 in Europe in the field of Business Research (UT Dallas World Ranking 2023) and #9 in Business Administration worldwide (Shanghai ARWU 2022).  The School of Economics and Management has 7000 students (26% international) and 400 academic staff (50% international).  The campus provides a green, academically centered environment with modern facilities and convenient local transportation.  Tilburg’s central position in the Benelux offers excellent regional and international access.  Major airports nearby include Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium) and Düsseldorf (Germany).  English is the working language of the university.

Tilburg School of Economics and Management

Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) staat hoog aangeschreven. Het onderzoek, verenigd in CentER, behoort tot de Europese top. De Bachelor- en Masteropleidingen, waarvan er drie Bachelors en zestien Masters volledig in het Engels worden verzorgd, staan op de internationale kaart met het in 2002 verworven AACSB-keurmerk. Medewerkers en studenten vormen een ambitieuze, internationale gemeenschap.

Tilburg School of Economics and Management