PhD Position in Marketing Management and Consumer Behavior (m/f/d)

Universität St.Gallen; Sankt Gallen; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chair of Prof. Dr. Reto Hofstetter at the University of St.Gallen invites applications for a full-time research associate (100%), salaried according to university guidelines.

You will pursue your own research agenda with strong support for data collection, participant incentives and travel. You will conduct independent research at the intersection of consumer behavior, marketing and technology, develop theory, and perform empirical work using online experiments and Python or R.

Qualifications

• Above-average degree in business administration, economics, psychology, computer science, data science, or related field.
• Strong interest in scientific questions in digital marketing and technology/AI in marketing.
• High level of personal initiative and goal orientation.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English; knowledge of German is beneficial.
• Proficiency in statistics and, ideally, basic coding in R/Python.
• Exceptional analytical and conceptual abilities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent research at the intersection of consumer behavior, marketing and technology (e.g., agentic AI, AR/VR, social media).
• Apply and develop consumer behavior theory in the context of new technologies in marketing.
• Conduct empirical research using online experiments/surveys (Qualtrics and Prolific) and statistical data analyses using Python or R.
• Partner with leading Swiss and international companies in applied research projects at the intersection of technology and marketing.

Skills

Consumer behavior

Digital marketing

AI in marketing

Statistics

Python

R

English

German

Education

Bachelor’s or higher in business administration, economics, psychology, CS, data science, or related field

Tools

Qualtrics

Prolific

Job description

This is a full-time research associate position (100%), salaried in accordance with the university's guidelines.

The chair of Prof. Dr. Reto Hofstetter offers a young, highly motivated environment with excellent infrastructure. You will have the freedom to pursue your own research agenda, the time to do it properly, and financial support for your projects, from data collection and participant incentives to conference travel.

We encourage you to publish in top-tier journals (e.g., JCR, JMR) and support your development through continued training at international institutions (e.g., GSERM, University of Michigan, ESADE). Our projects run in cooperation with top international universities (e.g., Columbia or Stanford) and leading companies. Regular conference participation helps you build your own international network early on.

The University of St.Gallen is among the leading business schools in Europe, with a large and active doctoral community.

Your tasks

• Conduct independent research at the intersection of consumer behavior, marketing and technology (e.g., (agentic) AI, AR/VR, Social Media)


• Apply and develop consumer behavior theory in the context of new technologies in marketing


• Conduct empirical research using online experiments/surveys (e.g., Qualtrics and Prolific) and conduct statistical data analyses using Python or R


• Partner with leading Swiss and international companies in applied research projects at the intersection of technology and marketing

Your profile

• An above-average degree in business administration, economics, psychology, computer science, data science, or related fields


• Strong interest in scientific questions related to the fields of digital marketing and technology/AI in marketing


• A high level of personal initiative and goal orientation


• Excellent command of written and spoken English; knowledge of German is beneficial


• Proficiency in statistics and, ideally, basic coding skills in R/Python


• Exceptional analytical and conceptual abilities

"A place where knowledge is created" - As one of Europe's leading universities of economics and business administration, the University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland, is committed to the education of over 10'000 students. The HSG is one of the largest employers in the region and provides an attractive and innovative environment for more than 3'800 researchers, educators and professional staff.