Postdoc Position in Consumer Behavior

The postdoctoral researcher will primarily work together with Prof. Femke van Horen on a grant-funded project focused on the adoption of innovations in general, and the development of a method to assess the relation between visual similarity and liking of (food) innovations (e.g., plant-based meat, lab grown meat), more specifically.

Your duties

• Conduct experimental research on the themes outlined above;
• Write high quality research papers;
• Present research-in-progress at e.g. workshops/conferences;
• Initiate meetings and share results with the involved researchers;

The potential candidate should

• have a Ph.D. in social or cognitive psychology, consumer behavior, behavioral economics, or a related discipline must be completed prior to starting this position.
• have strong knowledge of research methods and experimental design
• have advanced data analysis and programming skills
• have affinity with the topic of sustainability, food, and health
• have high academic writing skills and ability to publish in the leading academic journals
• be able to collaborate in groups as well as work individually;
• demonstrable flexibility and strong communication skills required to collaborate with international and local researchers and societal partner(s);
• be proficient in written and spoken English;
• be willing to work in-office (this is an in-person job)

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of two years.

On full-time basis (40 hours/week) the salary amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of €3,226 (scale 10) and a maximum €4.332 (scale 10), depending on your education and experience.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment,
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus,
• solid pension scheme (ABP),
• contribution to commuting expenses,
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package.

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 31,000 students. We employ over 5,000 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

School of Business and Economics
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) provides high-quality education and excellent research in business administration and economics with a focus on contributing to the social, economic and ecological challenges of our time. Whether it is the use of robots in society or big data, labour market participation or flexibility in the labour market, traffic jams or the housing market, flash crashes in the stock market or choice behaviour in gambling, leadership or change management: we believe in goal-oriented scientific research and understand that progress in academics, the business community and society is achieved through cooperation, openness and social responsibility.

At SBE, all of our highly-motivated colleagues work together closely in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment to achieve our collective goal of encouraging society to make informed choices. Approximately 7,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s students and 1,700 executive students are enrolled at the School, and employs roughly 600 people.
Marketing Department
We are a research oriented group that offers a stimulating environment and a dynamic international culture. Our faculty publishes in the major marketing journals, as well as several top-notch outlets in economics, psychology, decision making, and interdisciplinary journals. We have a strong international network with many collaborations and visits across Europe and the US, and were home to the European Association of Consumer Research conference in 2023. The department offers courses at all levels from Bachelor to MSc and MBA, and participates in the school’s PhD program. Our MSc in Marketing (in English, 150-200 students) has been rated best in The Netherlands. The department’s language of communication is English, teaching is either in English or in Dutch.