PhD Position in Business Model Design for Freight Mobility as a Service at Tilburg University CentER

Social support for the expansion of transport systems is declining due to the current transport systems' externalities. Traditional approaches are losing steam in optimizing capacity, and it is time for a paradigm shift. The platform economy offers opportunities to revolutionize how we coordinate supply and demand in transport networks. This PhD project is about the ability of the platform economy to create a landscape where market structures and chain governance align seamlessly and unlock the full potential of our available resources.

Join us in a groundbreaking project where we investigate how online platforms for arranging and booking services from multiple providers can be applied in the context of intermodal transport networks, thereby contributing to not only a more effective but also greener freight transport future. 

As a PhD candidate in Business Model Design for Freight Mobility as a Service (FMaaS), you can make a significant impact on Tilburg University and future generations by designing the business model that makes Freight Mobility as a Service attractive and fair for all involved freight partners. 

You will be embedded in a large NWO-funded project incorporating multiple universities and schools in the Netherlands and Belgium. The project also has more than 10 corporate partners representing various players in the freight industry that will be involved in the overall project. A more elaborate description of the overall project can be obtained from the contact listed below. Within the broader project, several other PhD candidates will be working on various elements related to Freight Mobility as a Service , such as designing the transport chain management for FMaaS or managing legal and trust-related aspects for FMaaS. 

You will be working alongside a team of entrepreneurship and innovation researchers, on the following tasks:

• Analyze potential FMaaS stakeholders and what they stand to gain/lose from moving towards the FMaaS business model. 
• Investigate how the different involved parties (e.g., shippers, transport providers, ports and hubs owners, …) look at fair distribution of the total value created through the FMaaS business model and identify potential frictions.
• Provide design principles that allow for a fair and attractive FMaaS business model for the different involved parties.
• Experiment with different business model specifications for the involved stakeholders in terms of their economic and societal performance, market acceptance, and overall fairness. 

You will be enrolled as a PhD candidate in the world-class PhD program of CentER Graduate School of Business, where you will receive extensive training in theory and methods by taking several PhD-level courses (about 36 European credits). The training can be adapted to your previous educational achievements by mutual agreement with the supervisors. 

A PhD dissertation at CentER requires the design and execution of 3 studies. The execution of the research work itself typically involves the conceptualization of the research questions and ideas, data collection, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the data, and writing and presenting of academic papers. The aim is to publish about those projects in high-quality academic journals. Two advisors will be assigned for supervising your PhD research. Upon successful completion of your courses and your research work, as demonstrated by a submitted and approved PhD dissertation and the subsequent defense, you will be awarded a doctoral degree by Tilburg University. 

Requirements:

1. An academic Master’s or MPhil/Research Master’s degree in management, supply chain management, entrepreneurship, business studies, or another relevant discipline. 
2. Completed the previous degree with an excellent GPA (top 10% of class as guideline)
3. You feel comfortable working together with colleagues from different fields (i.e. supply chain management, law, and so on). 
4. You are passionate about (changing) the freight mobility industry.
5. Proficiency in English to be proven by means of an IELTS score of at least 7.0, with no sub scores below 6.5, a TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet based) or 600 (paper based), a Cambridge CAE (at least B) or a Cambridge CPE. Exemptions can be provided upon request to native English speakers or to candidates who have obtained their bachelor’s and master’s degree in English in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, or New Zealand. 
6. Proficiency in Dutch, besides English, is a plus. 
7. This project will likely combine qualitative and quantitative research. Experience with qualitative research skills is therefore a plus. In addition, a solid quantitative background, to be proven in one of the following ways is required:
   1. candidates with a MSc or MPhil degree from a Research University in the European Union need to have at least 24 ECTS credits in quantitative and research methods courses during their BSc and/or MSc or MPhil programs. If this is not the case, but you would still like to be considered for admission, you are welcome to hand in a GRE or GMAT test score to show your quantitative competences.
   2. candidates with a MSc or MPhil degree from a university outside the European Union: please provide a recent GRE or GMAT test score.

Salary Benefits:

Your valuable contribution will be rewarded with attractive benefits and sufficient attention to work-life balance. Our offer includes:

• A position based on 1,0 fte (40 hours per week)
• An appointment for the total of 48 months. The selected candidate will initially be appointed for 18 months, with an extension for the following 30 months based on a positive evaluation. The evaluation will take place after about 14 months.
• A starting gross salary is € 2,770 per month (for a full-time appointment) in the first year, up to 
• € 3,539 in the final year. 
• 80% of the position’s time will be dedicated to the completion of your PhD research, and 20% to the acquisition of academic skills through teaching courses and supervising master/bachelor theses within the department.

In addition to your monthly salary, you will receive 41 vacation days (for a 40-hour work week), a holiday allowance (8%), and a year-end bonus (8.3%). We reimburse the full cost of sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, or public transportation. We have a moving expenses scheme that makes it attractive to live close to the university. You will be enrolled in the ABP pension fund through us. Our Options Model allows you to choose from a variety of facilities at a tax advantage. You can work in a hybrid manner: on campus and from home. Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for temporarily a tax-free allowance of 30% (tax regulation may change as of January 1, 2024) of their taxable salary if they meet the relevant conditions. The university applies for this allowance on their behalf. 

40 hours per week

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