One-Year Position for a Postdoc (fulltime or parttime)
Be part of ground-breaking research in genuine emotions in a mobile phone application with our 1-year postdoc. Join us to contribute to meaningful advances in psychology.

What you will do
As a postdoctoral researcher in the Cognitive Psychology Unit, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of genuine emotional expressions through technological innovation. Your work will be instrumental in developing a mobile phone training application designed to enhance social competencies through emotion recognition and regulation training. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute theoretical insights and analyse complex and very large data sets (e.g. facial expressions, eye gaze, heart rate), impacting both academic research and societal well-being. Your expertise and research work will foster breakthroughs in how we recognize and regulate emotions, paving the way for significant strides in psychological health and technology.

• Collaborate with a software engineer to design and refine an interactive emotion recognition and regulation mobile application.
• Conduct comprehensive data analysis on facial expressions, physiological measures, and user progress to inform development and research.
• Write and publish findings in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Assist in ERC-grant-related administration (e.g. progress reports).
• Oversee a clinical trial involving emotion recognition training for autism spectrum disorder patients, enhancing practical applications.

Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. Visit our website for an impression: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Leiden University.

The Institute of Psychology comprises six units (teaching + research): Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social and Organizational Psychology, and Methodology and Statistics. The Institute of Psychology offers a stimulating environment that promotes collaboration within and between units and faculties (e.g. computer science). For more information, see http://www.fsw.leidenuniv.nl/psychologie/

This project is supported by an ERC POC grant to Prof.dr. Mariska Kret and will run in parallel with ongoing projects in the CoPAN lab, directed by Kret (www.mariskakret.com; see the Copan Leiden Facebook page and Twitter). The lab consists of several postdocs and PhD students from various nationalities, all working on emotion and social cognition or related themes from different angles (studies in clinical populations and captive great apes).

What you bring
In this team, we are looking for someone who can work independently. Every job is different, so in the beginning we will devote attention to your onboarding. If some of the work activities are new to you, we will look together at what you need, and draw up a development plan. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:

• PhD in experimental psychology, neuroscience, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge and interest in the study of emotions, expressions and social competencies.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis, including multilevel and Bayesian methods and/ or network analyses.
• Experience with psychophysiological and eye-tracking research methodologies.
• A proactive approach with excellent social skills, leadership qualities, and the ability to propose innovative ideas.
• Prior involvement in interdisciplinary teams, particularly with technical and clinical experts.
• Familiarity with game design, VR, and UI/UX is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of ethical and data privacy practices, with proficiency in data analysis tools and programming languages like Python or R.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• A fixed-term fulltime post for 1 year. Parttime is possible too. Salary is in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Extensions may be possible depending on funding and performance.
• A salary of a minimum of € 4,332.00 and a maximum of € 5,929.00 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 11]);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Starting date is negotiable but no later than October 2024.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone (if applicable for the position).

For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.

Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply straight away, click the application button.

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Prof.dr. Mariska Kret m.e.kret@fsw.leidenuniv.nl, at +31 - 71 - 527 3427; 0651828113. You can apply until April 24th 2024; applications will be processed immediately.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden

• We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
• A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid