PhD Position at the intersection of Operations Management and Strategic Management at Tilburg University CentER Graduate School of Business

PhD position at the intersection of Operations Management and Strategic Management

The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management seeks applications for a doctoral student position at the intersect between Operations Management and Strategic Management. As a PhD student you will primarily work on the development, implementation, and publication of research projects. The PhD position will be based in the Department of Information Systems & Operations Management. The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management with their world class academic staff contributes to research published in leading outlets and makes an impact on our industry and NGO partners, and on the livelihoods of millions. Faculty cover a wide range of research topics and methods and belong to the top 10 ISOM research groups in Europe. You will be able to benefit from the department’s strong research focus and its numerous resources (e.g., databases, research seminars, brown bags and reading groups, career planning, skills-enhancement workshops, international conferences, contacts with practitioners, etc.).

 

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) in information economics/ operations management, econometrics, machine learning, extensive data analytics and qualitative research methods. The training can be adapted to the previous educational achievements of the PhD candidate by mutual agreement with the supervisors, with whom the candidate will collaborate closely to identify, develop, and carry out the research project. PhD candidates are supervised by two faculty advisors, of which at least one is senior. There is also a travel budget for attending PhD level courses outside of CentER, work visits and conferences. About 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.

The Ph.D. dissertation will be a product of the student's creativity and initiative, shaped with guidance from the advisors, and will demand a strong dedication to scientific exploration. 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. Upon successful completion of your courses and your research work, as demonstrated by a submitted and approved PhD dissertation and the subsequent defence, you will be awarded a doctoral degree by Tilburg University. 

  

For a start by September 2024, we seek to recruit a candidate for a PhD position at the intersect of Operations Management and Strategic Management for a project focusing on leveraging Blockchain-based Smart Contracts (BbSCs) and similar technological solutions for more effective purchasing and supply management. BbSCs –self-executing contracts where the terms of agreement or conditions are written into lines of code– are increasingly being adopted across sectors to aid organizations in enforcing contractual obligations by autonomously performing transactions using funds held in escrow that are only executed when predefined conditions are met. Despite smart contracts’ increasing adoption, there is limited actionable guidance for managers and companies on when to use blockchain-based smart contracts, i.e., which kinds of business transactions can be effectively served using smart contracts. The PhD project is intended to enhance our understanding of how blockchain technology can prove to be valuable for purchasing and supply management activities, and is intended to focus on the following three themes: transparency in and trustworthiness of transactions, efficiency and cost reduction, and its integration with the IoT (Internet of Things).  Faculty leads: Wendy van der Valk, Geert Duijsters, Bart Dormans. 

 

Your work environment 

You will work in a pleasant working environment; a green campus with plenty of facilities, and at a leading, entrepreneurial, and innovative university in the humanities and social sciences. The university employs 2,400 staff members and hosts 20,000 students of some 100 different nationalities. For nearly a century, the university has worked in a tradition of contributing to society. We strive to be a community where differences in age, gender, orientation, and cultural and religious backgrounds are valued, with equal opportunities for colleagues and students and where decisions take into account the importance of preserving Earth for future generations.   Read more about the university here.

 

Your school

Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) is one of Europe’s leading centers for research in business and economics, with research rankings consistently among Europe’s top 10 across various business domains, including Operations Management (#8 UTD). In addition to the strong research focus and collegial research climate, it offers a wide variety of educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, with about 7,000 students enrolled. The School is well-connected to both policy makers and industry in the region and internationally, providing ample opportunities for creating impact with research.

Tilburg School of Economics and Management

 

Increasing your value 

Tilburg University is rated among the top Dutch employers and has excellent terms of employment.

With us, you will find everything you need to maximize your potential and development. We offer excellent facilities and support for research, education, and making societal impact. In all three of these areas, we “recognize and reward” you in line with national university aspirations. With great opportunities such as obtaining a senior teaching qualification, collaborating in an academic collaborative center, or participating in our Connected Leading program. We attach great importance to team spirit and have a clear, shared vision of (personal) leadership (Connected Leading) . Developing qualities such as self-reflection, dialogue, and transparency are central to this. We expect managers to embrace this and continue developing in this respect. Read more about careers at Tilburg University and personal development here.

Requirements:

Requirements

1.    An academic Master’s or MPhil/Research Master’s degree in business studies, economics, operations management, strategic management, industrial engineering or another relevant field that is deemed an equivalent to the previous education profile.

2.    Completed the previous degree with an excellent GPA (top 10% of class as guideline)

3.    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.

4.    A solid quantitative background, to be proven in one of the following ways:

-    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.

-    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 terms of employment 

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. 

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 your behalf. 

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