The postdoctoral researcher will participate in an international comparative and EU-financed research project Link4Skills (Horizon2020) that, among others, investigates labour migration to the EU. The starting point of the project is that the competitiveness of the EU economies depends on its capacity to effectively adapt its human capital to technological, environmental, and demographic changes, among which the aging of societies. Labour migration is one way to address skill shortages. However, labour migration can have negative repercussions for origin countries due to skill drain. A key challenge is therefore to develop fair systems of skilled labour migration. The project is led by Kozminski University (Poland). Erasmus University Rotterdam participates in the study, next to migration research institutes from Austria, Canada, Germany, Ghana, India, Morocco, Philippines, and Ukraine.

Job description
The postdoctoral researcher will develop and carry out an online survey among medium and high skilled migrant workers who work in four destination countries (Austria, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands). The main objective of the survey is to study the intentions and expectations of migrants to come to the four destinations, the conditions under which they want to stay (the issue of retention) or want to return. The survey also investigates the relevance of EU skills partnerships. The postdoc will be responsible for (1) developing the questionnaire for the online survey, (2) coordinating the research activities of the partners in Austria, Germany and Poland who are responsible for the fieldwork for the survey in their own countries, and (3) the fieldwork for the survey in the Netherlands. The latter requires cooperation with employers, migrant organisations and other institutions that are in contact with skilled migrant workers in the Netherlands. Next, to the survey the postdoc will be responsible for a scoping study about migration corridors between the Netherlands and Ghana, India, Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines, and Ukraine, and for contributing to the conceptualization of migration skill corridors.

Methodologies and Activities

• Develop and carry out an online survey;
• Desk research about migration corridors, aspirations and return intentions of skilled migrant workers;
• Conduct fieldwork among labour migrants in the Netherlands;
• Coordinate the research activities of partner institutes in Austria, Germany, and Poland;
• Publish and present research results on workshops and conferences;
• Communicate research findings to a broader audience.

The successful candidate has:

• Master’s degree in Sociology, Anthropology or Political Science, preferably with a specialisation in Migration Studies;
• PhD in social sciences, preferable with specialisation in Migration Studies;
• Excellent research skills and a strong methodological profile, experience with online surveys;
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English, command of German and/or Polish is a recommendation;
• Experience in coordinating international research project with multiple partners;
• Experience in working in research teams.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 April 2024 and you will be based at in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 0.8 FTE. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4.332 to a maximum of € 5.929 gross per month on a fulltime basis (38 hours), Scale 11, in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of one year and can be extended with nine months, if performance is good and the organizational circumstances remain unchanged.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)
The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research. Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. The different disciplines are supported by the Faculty Office (for more information, please visit www.eur.nl/essb).

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS encompasses the disciplines Public Administration and Sociology: two related scientific fields each with a unique profile. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes far beyond the public realm to also pay attention to public-private cooperation and the networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structures of societies and the way these evolve. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus, inter alia, on processes of globalization and individualization, and the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market and family relations. Social issues that are studied under this banner include migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and master programs of DPAS are built on this profile and develop students into scientifically schooled professionals.

Team Policy, Politics and Society
The team Policy, Politics and Society (PPS) is an interdisciplinary team that does research and provides teaching around a broad set of complex policy issues. Working together based on the principles of team science, PPS aims to provide a stimulating and creative environment for academic development. Besides scientific impact, societal impact and engagement (with communities, governments, organizations) are key trademark of the team. Within PPS, specializations have emerged on a number of complex policy issues, such as institutional reform, welfare and inclusion, European and global governance, resilient cities, e-governance, and on migration and diversity.