Job description
We seek a postdoctoral researcher who is motivated to study managerial meaning-making within the Dutch Smart Industry. The project aims to improve managers’ ability to lead successful Industry 5.0 transitions by analysing and supporting their meaning-, sense- and decision-making. The ideal candidate is interested in how managers interpret information (for example, about events, actions, contexts) and make meaning of their organisation, its opportunities for growth, and the inner workings of their organisation. You will specifically study how such meaning-making relates to the decisions they make about what changes they are (un)willing to make in their organisation’s ways of working. For example, managers might jump to certain solutions (without fully understanding the implications or needs), postpone or even avoid to engage in their business development. Together with a junior design researcher you will co-design a transformative intervention to support managers’ meaning- and decision-making processes regarding their organization’s Industry 5.0 transformations. Thus, a strong interest in applying theoretical insights to practice is important. Due to the nature of the project, mastering Dutch at minimally the B2 level is a must.
About this project
This postdoctoral project is part of the Smart Skills@Scale project, which aims to support a robust, resilient workforce and a human-centric, sustainable, and resilient Smart Industry. The current position is part of the research line that focuses on supporting organisations in Industry 5.0 transitions through, for example, ensuring human-centric production cells and fostering technology adoption and usage by production workers. You will collaborate with your fellow researchers to find synergy between the role of managers and employees in change processes. For more information about the entire project, please visit our website.
Your profile
You hold your PhD (or are close to completion) in Psychology, Organisation Studies, Educational Science, or a related field. Also, you:
- have expertise or demonstrable interest in decision-making for organisational change, meaning-making or sensemaking, and applying those concepts to the Smart Industry context;
- have expertise or demonstrable interest in designing interventions, such as serious games, or game-based learning, especially aimed at transformative learning;
- have demonstrable strong qualitative methodological knowledge and skills
- have good social and communication skills in academic and non-academic contexts;
- are fluent in English and master Dutch (at least the B2 level, as the data collection will be in Dutch);
- have excellent writing skills;
- are willing and have a proven ability to work independently but also to collaborate with the project team, managers, and employees of regional SMEs.
Our offer
A 4-year post-doc position (1 fte), starting July 2025. The gross salary is in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) € 3.378,- to € 5.331,- per month for a full-time position, depending on experience. On top of this, you receive a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
We offer excellent auxiliary terms of employment, such as professional and personal development programs; a secondary remuneration package; a dynamic environment with enthusiastic colleagues; an organization focusing on internationalization and a high degree of responsibility and independence.
Information and application
Your application should include:
- a cover letter (in English or Dutch) which explains your interest in the position and your qualifications for it;
- a curriculum vitae which includes your proficiency in both English and Dutch
- a copy of your PhD thesis or, if it is not yet available, an outline and summary of your thesis and one of your scientific papers.
Upload your application via the “apply now” button below or at the top of your screen. Since you can only upload three documents, please combine documents when needed.
The application deadline is May 11th. We will hold the first round of interviews on 16th and the second on May 23th. The starting date for the position is ideally July/August 2025.
For more information about this position or to receive the full text of the research proposal funded by NWO, you can contact Dr. Mireille Post ([email protected]; +31534891115).
You can find more information about the section Professional Learning & Technology via this link.
About the department
Researchers in our section study formal and informal learning of (future) employees, including the use of technology to measure and support professional learning. More broadly, we also study professional learning in relation to the collaboration and innovation processes of professionals, particularly so in multidisciplinary settings and new forms of organizing (such as learning communities or living labs). Our studies often take place in the high-tech, health, and educational sectors with the intention to understand, evaluate, and optimize (inter)professional and (inter)organizational learning, collaboration, and innovation in these various contexts. Increasingly, the settings we study revolve around grand challenges and wicked problems, such as the transitions to green energy and circularity or matters of digital transformation. To contribute to these challenges, we also design and evaluate (technology-based) interventions to optimize professional learning, innovation, and collaboration. In our research group, we combine expertise from a range of disciplines (e.g., educational sciences, psychology, business administration, organization studies, communication science).
About the organisation
At the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), we unite the worlds of people and technology to address today’s complex societal challenges. We are passionate about understanding human behaviour, fostering responsible innovation, and designing solutions that create societal value. Our educational programmes span disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences, and Health Sciences. Through our bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Professional Learning & Development programmes, and interdisciplinary research themes – including Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations, Resilience, Smart Industry, Learning, and Health – we empower students and researchers to make a positive societal impact.
At BMS, we combine critical thinking with practical action. From advancing sustainable mobility with innovations like the world’s most efficient hydrogen car to shaping policies that promote digital inclusion, our work contributes to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future. Whether it’s exploring how technology influences human behaviour or leveraging data and innovation to transform industries and communities, we ensure that technology serves people – and not the other way around.
As an employer, BMS offers a vibrant, inclusive, and entrepreneurial environment where you can thrive personally and professionally. Join us and become part of a forward-thinking community that equips you to shape the future – for yourself and society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact.
