Postdoc Position – Building an Interdisciplinary Lab for Human-Centric Decision-Making

We are seeking an impact-driven postdoctoral researcher to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration in human-centric decision-making (HCDM) in transportation, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare logistics. The position is hosted by the Industrial Engineering & Business Information Systems (IEBIS) section at the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS) at the University of Twente (UT).

This position focuses on connecting three existing research centres within our university: (1) BMS Lab, which contributes behavioural insights and methodological expertise in human decision-making, (2) CHOIR, which focuses on healthcare applications, ensuring relevance of HCDM in healthcare logistics (both patient- and health professional-centric decision-making), and (3) TSLOTS, which specialises in logistics research and, with further development, more broadly to smart manufacturing and production systems.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and integrating a shared software/hardware infrastructure and supporting its use in research, education, and communities.
• Driving cross-lab collaboration on HCDM themes with researchers and industry partners by promoting the lab and organizing events/meet-ups.
• Supporting new and ongoing pilot projects in transportation, logistics, and healthcare logistics settings, and contributing to grant proposals.
• Expanding TSLOTS into a hub for smart manufacturing and logistics innovation through partnerships and a defined research agenda,.
• Integrating smart manufacturing demonstrators and digital twins into the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) educational programs.

You will work closely with faculty, PhD/EngD students, and companies, with a focus on hands-on impact, applied research, and knowledge transfer to industry and education. Projects include topics like AI-enhanced engineering teams and human-centric logistics aligned with Industry 5.0.

We are looking for a proactive, impact-oriented postdoctoral researcher who thrives in interdisciplinary environments and has a clear drive to bridge academic research with real-world applications. We list the following key qualifications of the postdoctoral researcher.

Educational background:

• PhD degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations research, Computer Science, Econometrics, Transport Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Supply Chain Management, or related discipline;

Core skills:

• Solid project management and organizational skills; experience in community building and stakeholder engagement is highly valued;
• Team player who can work independently and take ownership of the development and implementation of the lab initiative;
• Strong communication skills and an excellent command of English; the ability to engage and inspire a range of audiences, from students to senior industry partners.

Experience:

• Experience or strong interest in developing lab infrastructure (software/hardware platforms, demonstrators, living labs);
• Proven ability to work across disciplines and connect diverse research domains (e.g., behavioral sciences, logistics, healthcare, smart manufacturing);
• Demonstrated experience in initiating and managing research projects with academic and industry partners;
• Experience in grant writing, acquisition of external funding, or consortium building;
• Affinity and/or experience with open science practices, including the creation of open-source repositories and dissemination of research outputs;
• Affinity and/or experience with machine learning and optimisation techniques;
• Affinity and/or experience with human-centric decision-making, human-machine collaboration, and/or autonomous systems;
• Affinity with educational innovation and experience in integrating research into teaching (e.g., lab-based teaching tools, digital twins);
• Knowledge of Industry 5.0 concepts and human-centric AI is an advantage.

Personality:

• Impact-driven, proactive and entrepreneurial mindset;
• Good team spirit and feel at home in an interdisciplinary environment;
• Practical mindset with the ability to translate academic insights into pilot projects, demonstrators, and industry collaborations.

We encourage high responsibility and independence while collaborating with colleagues, researchers, other university staff and partners. We follow the terms of employment by the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Universities (CAO).

• Our offer contains 1-year researcher position, with the prospect of an extension with 2 additional years.
• The starting salary, depending on your experience, ranges between € 3.378 to € 6.209 gross per month (in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities), based on the job profile of a researcher.
• In addition, the University of Twente offers additional attractive employment conditions (8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, solid pension scheme, sabbatical leave, professional and personal development programs, etc.).

The HBE department is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their competence and ability. To support workforce diversity, we are open to offering flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, which may include a contract of employment, working hours and location, or childcare arrangements.

The High Business Entrepreneurship corporate video can be watched via this link.

Are you interested in being part of our team? Please submit your application before June 15, 2025 and include the following:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasising your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position;
• A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references;
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).

Additional information can be acquired via email from Martijn Mes (m.r.k.mes@utwente.nl). Please do not send applications to these email addresses