Postdoc Position / EU-funded Project on Sustainable Consumption

The Department of Marketing at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam is hiring a Postdoctoral Researcher for an EU-funded project on sustainable consumption starting from September 1, 2024 with a duration of 2,5 years.

Your function

The Postdoctoral Researcher will work with Associate Professor Michail Kokkoris on a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Commission. The aim of the project is to study consumers’ motivation to seek and use sustainability-related information via novel behavioral interventions.

We will develop a number of new labeling approaches and digital social innovations to improve consumer decision-making by addressing resistance to sustainability ideas and by designing interventions tailored to the heterogeneity in individual needs of vulnerable consumers. The theoretical focus of the research will be on interventions addressing the role of beliefs, norms and identity. The methodological approach will be experimental (online, lab and/or field experiments).

The project is part of a large interdisciplinary consortium combining expertise in marketing, psychology, consumer behavior, environmental science, and information science, with research partners from 11 European countries. Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam will be project leader in one of the work packages, coordinating the work among various institutions. Besides academic researchers, the consortium also involves companies from the communication, retailing, and standard-setting industries, which will support the integration of the research-generated insights into digital social innovations powered by AI tools.

This project offers early-career researchers a unique opportunity to conduct socially impactful research within a vibrant and intellectually enriching environment. It serves as a gateway to broaden your academic network, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, enhance visibility within the European research community, develop leadership skills in managing major third-party funded projects, and acquire invaluable experience in research with industry partners.

Duties

• Conduct experimental research
• Write research papers aimed at premier marketing and psychology journals
• Prepare project reports and deliverables
• Collaborate with consortium partners and participate in meetings
• Present work-in-progress at consortium meetings, conferences and/or workshops

Your profile

Requirements

• A PhD degree in psychology, marketing, or related disciplines (completed or near completion)
• Strong knowledge of research methods and experimental design
• Advanced statistical skills (e.g., SPSS) and survey programming skills (e.g., Qualtrics)
• Affinity with topics such as sustainability, food, beliefs, norms, and identity
• Excellent academic writing skills and ability to publish in leading academic journals
• Project management skills and strong ability to adhere to deadlines given the grant-funded nature of the research
• Strong communication skills required to collaborate with international partners (researchers, retailers, etc.)
• Excellent presentation skills required to present in consortium meetings, workshops, and/or conferences
• Excellent speaking and writing skills in English language

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organization. At Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. In return for your efforts, we offer you:

• A salary equivalent to 80% of a full-time contract exclusively dedicated to research (the project outlined above). There is an opportunity to extend this to a full-time contract (100%) by incorporating teaching responsibilities in the marketing department (e.g., teaching tutorials, supervising theses) of up to 20%. The candidate will have the flexibility to freely determine the specific teaching load to be added, in consultation with the supervisor and the head of department. In sum, any contract between 80% and 100% is possible upon mutual agreement.
• A full-time contract (100%) corresponds to a salary of minimum € 3.226,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.090,00 (Scale 10) gross per month. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• The duration of the job contract will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of 2,5 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 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

About us

School of Business and Economics

At the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, we 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.

Collaboration and cooperation, transparency and social responsibility are four keywords that embody our approach. Students, researchers and staff at SBE share real-world knowledge in order to devise solutions together to global economic and social challenges. In order to make a positive impact on the world, society and the lives of others.

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. SBE employs roughly 600 staff, with 7,250 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs and 1,700 executive students.

Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit (VU) 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 the planet. Together we create a safe and respectful work and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 5,500 staff work at the VU and over 30,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity

Diversity is the driving force of the VU. The VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalization contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.