Postdoc position – Department of Work and Organisation Studies (campus Leuven)

For the Research Centre for Work and Organisation Studies (WOS), campus Leuven we are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher (full-time, 1-year contract).

The Department of Work and Organisation Studies is a large and interdisciplinary group located across three campuses (Leuven, Antwerp, and Brussels) of scholars with backgrounds in economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, pedagogics, philosophy and history, bringing different theoretical as well as methodological perspectives to the study of organizational behavior topics (e.g., organizational diversity, work-life balance, employee differentiation, and labor market issues, among others). For more information on the research activities of the department see http://feb.kuleuven.be/research/leuven/WOSL/@main and http://feb.kuleuven.be/focus/ (pp. 61-63).

Responsibilities

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to collaborate with the department faculty within at least one of their existing research lines:

• Multiplicity and ethico-political issues in organizations (Prof. Dr. Maddy Janssens): This research line focuses on the everyday practices surrounding diversity and multiplicity in organizations and their interconnectedness to emancipatory practices, studied through a mixture of qualitative methods that are ethnographic in its sensibility. Empirical settings may vary but preference for organizations working globally or organizations in creative industries.

• Work-Life Balance (Prof. Dr. Marijke Verbruggen): This research line focuses on the study of work-life related challenges employees today experience (due to, for instance, increased work-related ICT use outside work hours) and of organizational, individual and couple efforts to manage these challenges (e.g., by offering family-friendly work arrangements, by using boundary management strategies, by making career sacrifices for one’s partner), preferably through multilevel (e.g., supervisor-employee), multisource (e.g., employee-spouse) and/or dynamic research designs (e.g., diary studies). …

• Employee Differentiation (Prof. Dr. Nicky Dries): This research line focuses on employee reactions (ABC: affective, behavioral, and cognitive) to workplace differentiation and inequalities (mainly talent/performance management); organizational secrecy, ambiguity, and obfuscation surrounding workplace differentiation and inequalities, both from a behavioral and an ethical perspective; and the structural underutilization of human potential in the labor market, along with the lived experience of untapped potential in individual employees.

• Labour Market Issues (Dr. Sarah Vansteenkiste): This research line focuses on broad labour market issues (active ageing, school-to work transition, technology and jobs, job mobility, …) and is embedded in the Centre of Expertise for Labour market Monitoring (CELM) - 'Steunpunt Werk' in Dutch (www.steunpuntwerk.be). CELM is a university-based knowledge center for the monitoring and analysis of the labour market, acting on behalf of the Flemish Government. Its main task is to support the Flemish employment policy, among others by developing indicators, time series, projections and benchmark analyses related to the Flemish labour market.

Within the boundaries of these research lines, the candidate will have the freedom to carve out their personal research project. Candidates who wrote their PhD in relation to one of these research lines are particularly welcome, although others with an interest in (one or more of) these topics can also apply.

Your job will consist of the following activities:
• (Co-)authoring scientific articles with the aim of publishing them in A-level, international peer-reviewed journals:
• Active participation in international seminars and conferences and/or short research visits abroad;
• Providing educational support (e.g., supervision of master’s dissertations, grading exams);
• (Co-)guiding PhD students who work on topics related to the candidate’s area of expertise;
• Applying for further external postdoc funding (FWO or other) during this period.

Profile

• You hold a PhD degree relevant to the research lines of the department (including, but not limited to, Management, Psychology, Applied Economics, Business Engineering, Sociology);
• You have defended your PhD (or at least, have been approved to defend your PhD) prior to the start date of the position, i.e. October 1st 2017;
• You have demonstrable methodological skills, either quantitative or qualitative;
• You are a strong writer, and you excel at public speaking (e.g., delivering a conference presentation, teaching a class);
• Your written and spoken English is excellent;
• You would describe yourself as an intellectually curious, analytical “ideas person”, with a knack for academic research and a proactive, self-efficacious approach to work;
• You have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• A proven publication track record is an asset, but publication potential is highly important as well;
• Teaching experience (with or without formal student evaluations) is a plus.

Offer

We offer employment as a full-time postdoctoral researcher in a stimulating environment starting October 1st, 2017 or as soon as possible thereafter (starting date negotiable), for an initial period of 1 year. We expect the candidate to apply for further external postdoc funding (FWO or other) during this period—such that the duration of employment can be extended—and will offer support in applying for such funding. 

More information on the terms of employment (e.g., salary) can be found on: http://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/working

Interested?

During your postdoc you will be working with Prof. Dr. Maddy Janssens, Prof. Dr. Marijke Verbruggen, Prof. Dr. Nicky Dries, and/or Dr. Sarah Vansteenkiste depending on the fit between your own expertise and the research lines within the department (i.e., organizational diversity, work-life balance, employee differentiation, or labor market issues). Please have a look at their profiles (i.e., publications and research lines) on their respective webpages.

Interested candidates should e-mail their CV and motivation letter, before July 10st, to Prof. Dr. Nicky Dries.

The timeline for the application procedure is as follows:
• Before July 10th: candidates submit their CV and motivation letter
• Week of July 17th: all candidates receive a reply; shortlisted candidates receive an assignment
• Before August 6th: shortlisted candidates submit their application assignment
• Between August 10th and 18th: selected candidates are interviewed (in person or via Skype)

E-mail: nicky.dries@kuleuven.be
Phone: +32 16 37 37 19