Postdoc Position: Meaningful Work in Organizations

Do you want to help people find meaning and purpose at work so they can flourish and contribute to their organizations today and in the future? Join our VU People@Work Research Group.

Postdoc Position: Meaningful Work in Organizations

VU People@Work Research Group at the Department of Management and Organization is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work with Dr. Evgenia Lysova, Head of the Research Group, on several research projects on meaningful work in connection with the future of work, including its economic dimensions such as decent work and work precarity, and technological dimensions such as AI and new ways of working.

These projects examine how meaningful work can be holistically enabled by organizations so that individuals flourish at work, build resilience in the face of the future of work, and contribute to their organizations. The work will focus on conducting empirical research, employing primarily qualitative methods such as interviews and observations, but also quantitative methods such as surveys and diary studies.

One of the projects is a case study of a Dutch organization, where the postdoc will collect data and, together with Dr. Evgenia Lysova, deliver seminars and write a report sharing the findings with the case company. Another project is focused on a quantitative diary study, including brief scale development. The projects are expected to result in several empirical papers and one theoretical paper.

Your function

Your duties

The main duties of the Postdoc include engaging in research activities (.80fte) such as synthesizing academic literature, collecting empirical data, analyzing it, writing it up, and presenting work in progress at conferences such as AOM and EGOS. The Postdoc will be expected to design and lead research projects, conduct and analyze data using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches, co-author a high-impact academic publication and selected practitioner-oriented outputs, and disseminate research findings through academic conferences, stakeholder workshops, and broader outreach activities.

Next to research activities, the postdoc is expected to engage in teaching activities (.20fte), such as thesis supervision and teaching tutorials at Bachelor or Master level. The successful candidate will also assist with organizing an international conference that will take place at VU Amsterdam and contribute to a collaborative and supportive atmosphere at the VU People@Work section and department as a whole.

Your profile

• Applicants must have completed a PhD in a social science discipline, such as organizational behavior, work and organizational psychology, or other relevant management fields, prior to the beginning of the postdoc.
• Knowledge of, and interest in, meaning and purpose at work, the future of work, work design, and/or positive organizational scholarship.
• Expertise in conducting research using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, with particular strength in qualitative research.
• Excellent project management and writing skills.
• Publication record, including publications or advanced-stage manuscripts such as revise and resubmit or under review, in well-regarded peer-reviewed journals in organizational behavior, organization, and management studies.
• Familiarity with the academic publication process and the ability to disseminate research to both scholarly and broader audiences.
• High level of autonomy and initiative, with the ability to independently structure and advance research projects.
• Professional, rigorous, and collegial mindset.
• Excellent academic writing and speaking skills in English.
• Excellent command of written and spoken Dutch is preferred, but not required.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world, and that is valuable.

• A position for at least 1 FTE.
• Your employment contract will initially last 1 year, with the possibility of extension for an additional year based on satisfactory performance.
• The preferred starting date is October 2026.
• Hybrid working enables a good work-life balance.
• Contribution to commuting expenses.
• Space for personal development.

About us

About the VU People@Work group:

The VU People@Work research group is a disciplinary and methodologically diverse group of experts who create knowledge for organizations to understand and proactively manage current developments in employment practices, technology, demography, and organizational structures.

Our research is anchored in three interconnected pillars: work design, work relationships, and development. Together, these pillars guide research towards enabling individuals and teams to be happy, healthy, and productive. Our expertise spans a broad range of topics, including the future of work, careers, leadership, meaningful work, well-being, proactivity, HRM, sustainability, learning, community, trust, and innovation.

School of Business and Economics

We at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at VU Amsterdam bring together socially relevant teaching and research in the areas of business administration and economics. We focus on real-life issues that have a huge impact on society, economics, and ecology: from robotics to big data, and from job market participation to change management.

Are you interested in joining SBE? You will work in a stimulating, dynamic, and international environment with motivated colleagues dedicated to helping society make informed choices.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance, and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research.