PhD candidate or Postdoctoral researcher in Information Systems & Operations Management

This time of transition calls for people who can further advance the world and science forward. People who, in keeping with our values, are curious, connecting, caring, and courageous.

Opportunity for a PhD or Postdoc position: 
Tilburg School of Economics and Management is seeking either a 4 -year Ph.D. candidate or a 2.5-year Researcher to fill a key role in the ongoing research project “Fieldlabs@Scale: Towards effective collaborative experimentation for mission-driven experimentation” (https://vu.nl/en/news/2022/nwo-call-mission-driven-innovation-systems). Part of a broader consortium, led by VU Amsterdam and involving four universities and many societal stakeholders, this project is part of a work package that involves a close collaboration between Henk Akkermans of Tilburg University (https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/ha) and Marcel Bogers of TU Eindhoven (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/marcel-bogers), who will jointly supervise the selected Ph.D./Postdoc. A key research deliverable is to develop a system dynamics model that captures the causalities underlying innovation dynamics in mission-driven open innovation programs. Many such programs in the Netherlands, also called Fieldlabs, are empirically studied by multiple other researchers in the consortium. The role of the researcher we are seeking is to integrate the insights generated by these other subprojects into one or more simulation models. Later on, this model then forms the core of a serious game to be developed, another key research deliverable. 
 
The candidate we are seeking ideally has a background in innovation studies and affinity with system dynamics modeling, while also being passionate about the topic, a good project manager, and a good collaborator as well. As such, while we are, on the one hand, looking for someone with knowledge of and passion for empirical research into innovation dynamics, this should, on the other hand, be combined with technical skills in system dynamics modeling and/or simulation-gaming design. We are open to either a talented Ph.D. candidate willing and able to join us in this effort, combining dedicated individual work with collaboration within the larger consortium, or an already skilled Researcher with proven skills to help us pursue our objectives.
 
PhD position
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 training can be adapted to the previous educational achievements of the PhD candidate by mutual agreement with the supervisors, with whom the candidate will collaborate closely to identify, develop, and carry out the research project. PhD candidates are supervised by two faculty advisors, of which at least one is senior. There is also a travel budget for attending PhD level courses outside of CentER, work visits and conferences. 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.

PhD position

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.

Researcher position

1. A doctoral/PhD degree in a relevant field. The doctoral degree must be (ABD) completed by September 1, 2024.
2. Demonstrated experience in research through publications, conference presentations, or previous projects. 
3. Excellent English-language academic writing skills in accordance with the standards of the best journals in our field.
4. Demonstrable project management skills, and ideally also some project management experience.
5. Postdocs are expected to work both independently, taking initiative in research project development and execution, and collaboratively within a team, making demonstrated independence and teamwork crucial qualifications.
6. If you have any of the following additional skills or evidence of skills, please include them specifically in your application, as they can be of value in the selection process:
7. Experience with inter- and/or transdisciplinary research collaborations, exemplified e.g., by prior involvement in projects of that kind. 
8. Evidence of prior research work, exemplified by a doctoral dissertation or academic papers.

Your valuable contribution will be rewarded with attractive benefits and sufficient attention to work-life balance. Our offer includes: 

PhD position

• 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. 

Researcher position

• A temporary contract for 2,5 years at 1.0 FTE.
• The candidate will be ranked in the Dutch university job ranking system (UFO) as Researcher 4 or 3 depending on relevant work experience. The starting gross salary for based on scale 10 or 11 of the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. 

You are entitled to a holiday allowance amounting to 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% of your gross yearly income. Faculty moving to the Netherlands may be eligible for a tax abatement for a period of five years (30% facility). Visit Working at Tilburg University | Tilburg University for more information on our employment conditions.

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.

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 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.   

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. 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.
Tilburg School of Economics and Management