Postdoc Position / EU-funded Project on Sustainable Consumption

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

Requirements:

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

Salary Benefits:

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

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