Open PhD positions
The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management seeks applications for multiple doctoral student positions in Information Systems. As a PhD student you will primarily work on the development, implementation and publication of research projects. The PhD position will be based in the Department of Information Systems & Operations Management with their world class academic staff contributing to research published in leading outlets and making an impact on our industry and NGO partners, and on the livelihoods of millions. Faculty cover a wide range of research topics and methods and belong to the top 10 ISOM research groups in Europe. You will be able to benefit from the department’s strong research focus and its numerous resources (e.g., databases, research seminars, brown bags and reading groups, career planning, skills-enhancement workshops, international conferences, contacts with practitioners, etc.).

You will be enrolled as a PhD candidate in the world-class PhD program of CentER Graduate School of Business, where you will receive extensive training in theory and methods by taking several PhD-level courses (about 36 European credits) in information economics/ operations management, econometrics, machine learning, extensive data analytics and qualitative research methods. The student will collaborate closely with advisors to identify, develop, and carry out their research project. The Ph.D. dissertation will be a product of the student's creativity and initiative, shaped with guidance from the advisors, and will demand a strong dedication to scientific exploration. There is also a travel budget for attending PhD level courses outside of CentER, work visits and conferences. The training can be adapted to the previous educational achievements of the PhD candidate by mutual agreement with the supervisors. 

A PhD dissertation at CentER requires the design and execution of 3 studies. The execution of the research work itself typically involves the conceptualization of the research questions and ideas, data collection, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the data, and writing and presenting of academic papers. The aim is to publish about those projects in high-quality academic journals. Each PhD student works with two faculty advisors, of at which at least one is senior. Upon successful completion of your courses and your research work, as demonstrated by a submitted and approved PhD dissertation and the subsequent defense, you will be awarded a doctoral degree by Tilburg University. The Ph.D. dissertation will be a product of the student's creativity and initiative, shaped with guidance from the advisors, and will demand a strong dedication to scientific exploration.

80% of the position’s time will be dedicated to the completion of your PhD research, and 20% to the acquisition of academic skills through teaching courses and supervising master/bachelor theses within the department.

For a start by September 2024, we will be recruiting at least 3 PhD students in Information Systems with the following specific scopes/projects. Note that in a separate call, we are also seeking 5 PhD students in Operations Management.  In your application, please indicate to which specific scope/project you are applying.

1.    Information Systems (open). Organizations and entire societies alike are undergoing massive digital transformation, with consequences for business strategy and governance, regulation, and the humans that are part of these companies and societies. We are seeking students with an interest in topics such as digital transformation in organizations, the adoption of information technology, and the functioning, competition, and regulation of digital markets and platforms. We are seeking applicants with a robust quantitative background. Candidates who hold an MSc, MPhil, or Research Master in fields like economics, computer science, econometrics, statistics, or similar disciplines are preferred. Applicants should also be proficient in programming languages such as R, SQL, Python, or others. Candidates are expected to develop their own research within this domain.
Faculty leads: Ulrich Lautenberger, Shiva Shekhar, Catherine Ma, Yi Wu.

2.    AI Deployment in healthcare. The main issues of applying AI in healthcare practice concern the potential errors and patient harm, algorithmic bias caused by bad data and the application outside the scope, lack of transparency, persistent trust issues, the difficulty of deployment in the routine clinical care, privacy issues of medical records, liability with AI, and the risk of increased health inequalities. Aim of this project is to develop an integral system of practices, processes, and technological tools to address these issues and support healthcare organizations’ deployment of AI technologies. This will be achieved through the advancement, application, evaluation, and integration of data science and design science techniques, as well as quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the context of AI deployment. Specifically, the ICON PhD position for this project will focus on the governance and explainability of AI in healthcare. The candidates are expected to be fluent in Dutch and will collaborate with Dutch healthcare organizations.
Faculty lead: Carol Ou

3.    Digitalization of large scale projects. This PhD position deals with digitalization and focuses on technological innovation implementation, digital twins, and standardization. Much research has been conducted about the technical sides of digitalization. However, in the practice, even the technical solutions are ready and mature, these pilot projects are still yet to receive a large-scale implementation due to legal and organizational considerations. Also, the interoperability of various systems remains a key challenge. This project is to identify the bottlenecks and solutions, and in sequence collaborate with the corresponding stakeholders to jointly establish a technical and governance framework for the selected use cases. Research is qualitative and empirical in nature. The scope for the research has been defined, while candidates are expected to further develop this into specific research projects together with Dutch corporate partners. Applicants are expected to be fluent in Dutch.
Faculty lead: Carol Ou

Note that for this specific project (only), applications will need to be made via: https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?_s.crb=balziLjCLSCUxamCkiYmiWBA6xQFnp0FWczH7xjbENo%253d

1)    An academic Master’s or MPhil/Research Master’s degree in business studies, economics, econometrics, operations research or another relevant field that is deemed an equivalent to the previous education profile.
2)    Completed the previous degree with an excellent GPA (top 10% of class as guideline)
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, a TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet based) or 600 (paper based), a Cambridge CAE (at least B) or a Cambridge CPE. Exemptions can be provided upon request to native English speakers or to candidates who have obtained their bachelor’s and master’s degree in English in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, or New Zealand.
4)    A solid quantitative background, to be proven in one of the following ways:

1. candidates with a MSc or MPhil degree from a Research University in the European Union need to have at least 24 ECTS credits in quantitative and research methods courses during their BSc and/or MSc or MPhil programs. If this is not the case, but you would still like to be considered for admission, you are welcome to hand in a GRE or GMAT test score to show your quantitative competences.
2. candidates with a MSc or MPhil degree from a university outside the European Union: please provide a recent GRE or GMAT test score.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Your valuable contribution will be rewarded with attractive benefits and sufficient attention to work-life balance. Our offer includes:
⦁    A position based on 1,0 fte (40 hours per week)
⦁    An appointment 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.
⦁    A 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 to your monthly salary, you will receive 41 vacation days (for a 40-hour work week), a holiday allowance (8%), and a year-end bonus (8.3%). We reimburse the full cost of sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, or public transportation. We have a moving expenses scheme that makes it attractive to live close to the university. You will be enrolled in the ABP pension fund through us. Our Options Model allows you to choose from a variety of facilities at a tax advantage. You can work in a hybrid manner: on campus and from home. Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for temporarily a tax-free allowance of 30% (tax regulation may change as of January 1, 2024) of their taxable salary if they meet the relevant conditions. The university applies for this allowance on their behalf. 

Your work environment 
You will work in a pleasant working environment; a green campus with plenty of facilities. At a leading, entrepreneurial, and innovative university in the humanities and social sciences. The university employs 2,400 staff members and hosts 20,000 students of some 100 different nationalities. For nearly a century, this organization has worked together with a tradition aimed at contributing to society. We strive to be a community where differences in age, gender, orientation, and cultural and religious backgrounds are valued, with equal opportunities for colleagues and students and where, moreover, all decisions take into account the importance of preserving the Earth for future generations.  
Read more about the university here

Your school
Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) is one of Europe’s leading centers for research in business and economics, with research rankings consistently among’s Europe’s top 10 across various business domain, including those in Information Systems (#2 UTD) and in Operations Management (#8 UTD). In addition to the strong research focus and collegial research climate, it offers a wide variety of educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate level,  with about 7,000 students enrolled. The School is well-connected to both policy makers and industry in the region and internationally, providing ample opportunities for creating impact with research.

Increasing your value 
Tilburg University is rated among the top Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment.
With us, you will find everything you need to maximize your potential and development. We offer excellent facilities and support for research, education, and making societal impact. In all three of these areas, we “recognize and reward” you in line with national university aspirations. With great opportunities such as obtaining a senior teaching qualification, collaborating in an academic collaborative center, or participating in our Connected Leading program. We attach great importance to team spirit and have a clear, shared vision of (personal) leadership (Connected Leading) . Developing qualities such as self-reflection, dialogue, and transparency are central to this. We expect managers to embrace this and continue developing in this respect. Read more about careers at Tilburg University and personal development here.