Postdoc Position: Meaningful Work in Organizations

Vrije Universisteit; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Holiday and development support

Commuting contributions

Diversity and inclusion focus

Job summary

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work with the VU People@Work group on meaningful work and the future of work. The role blends empirical research with teaching responsibilities and includes designing projects, co-authoring publications, and presenting at conferences.

The position offers a 0.8 research and 0.2 teaching split, a start date in Oct 2026, and a pathway to extended appointment based on performance, within a collaborative and diverse academic environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in a social science discipline completed before the start of the postdoc.
• Interest in meaning and purpose at work and the future of work.
• Expertise in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Excellent project management and writing skills.
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals in OB/management.
• Strong English writing and speaking; Dutch preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Engage in research activities (0.8 FTE): literature synthesis, data collection, analysis, writing, and presenting at conferences.
• Design and lead research projects, conduct and analyze data using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.
• Co-author high-impact publications and disseminate findings through conferences and workshops.
• Engage in teaching activities (0.2 FTE): supervise theses and teach tutorials at Bachelor/Master levels; assist with organizing an international conference.

Skills

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Academic writing

Project management

English writing

Dutch language (preferred)

Education

PhD in social sciences

Job description

Your function

VU People@Work Research Group at the Department of Management and Organization is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work with Dr. Evgenia Lysova – the Head of the Research Group – on several research projects on meaningful work in connection with the future of work, including its economic (i.e., decent work and work precarity) and technological (i.e., AI and new ways of working) dimensions. These projects examine how meaningful work can be holistically enabled by organizations so that individuals flourish at work, build resilience in the face of the future of work, and contribute to their organizations. They will focus on conducting empirical work, employing primarily qualitative (i.e., interviews, observations) but also quantitative (i.e., surveys, diary study) methods. One of the projects is a case study of a Dutch organization, where the postdoc will collect data and, together with Dr. Evgenia Lysova, deliver seminar(s) and write a report sharing the results of the findings with the case company. Another project is focused on a quantitative diary study, including brief scale development. The projects are expected to result in several empirical and one theoretical paper.

Your duties

The main duties of the Postdoc include engaging in research activities (.80fte) such as synthesizing academic literature, collecting empirical data, analyzing it, writing it up, and presenting the work-in-progress at conferences (e.g., AOM, EGOS). The Postdoc will be expected to design and lead research projects, conduct and analyze data, using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches. The Postdoc will co-author a high-impact academic publication and selected practitioner-oriented outputs and disseminate research findings through academic conferences, stakeholder workshops, and broader outreach activities.

Next to research activities, the postdoc is expected to engage in teaching activities (.20fte) (e.g., thesis supervision, teaching of tutorials at the Bachelor or Master level). The successful candidate will also assist with organizing an international conference that will take place at VU Amsterdam and contribute to a collaborative and supportive atmosphere at the VU People@Work section and department as a whole.

Your profile

• Applicants must have completed a PhD in a social science discipline (e.g., organizational behavior, work and organizational psychology, other relevant management fields) prior to the beginning of the postdoc.
• Knowledge of, and interest in, meaning and purpose at work, the future of work, work design, and/or positive organizational scholarship.
• Successful candidates should have expertise in conducting research, using both qualitative (i.e., interviews, observations) and quantitative (i.e., surveys, diary studies) methods of data collection and analysis, excelling in qualitative research, in particular. Also, the candidate needs to possess excellent project management and writing skills.
• Publication record, including publications or advanced-stage manuscripts (revise & resubmit or under review) in well-regarded peer-reviewed journals in organizational behavior, organization, and management studies.
• Familiarity with the academic publication process and the ability to disseminate research to both scholarly and broader audiences.
• High level of autonomy and initiative, with the ability to independently structure and advance research projects.
• Professional, rigorous, and collegial mindset.
• Excellent academic writing and speaking skills in English.
• Excellent command of written and spoken Dutch is a preference, but not a requirement.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.706,00 (Scale 10) and maximum€ 5.760,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 1 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the appointment may be extended for an additional 1 year based on satisfactory performance.
• the preferred starting date is October 2026.

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
• hybrid working enables a good work-life balance
• contribution to commuting expenses
• space for personal development

About us

About the VU People@Work group:

The VU People@Work research group is a disciplinary and methodologically diverse group of experts who create knowledge for organizations to understand and proactively manage the current developments in employment practices, technology, demography, and organizational structures.

Our research is anchored in three interconnected pillars: work design, work relationships, and development. Together, these pillars guide our research towards enabling individuals and teams to be happy, healthy, and productive. Our expertise spans a broad range of topics, including the future of work, careers, leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, meaningful work, well-being, proactivity, HRM, sustainability, learning, community, trust, and innovation.

School of Business and Economics
We at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at VU Amsterdam bring together socially relevant teaching and research in the areas of business administration and economics. We focus on real-life issues that have a huge impact on society, economics and ecology: from robotics to big data, and from job market participation to change management.

Collaboration and cooperation, transparency and social responsibility are four keywords that embody our approach. Students, researchers and staff at SBE share real-world knowledge in order to devise solutions together to global economic and social challenges. In order to make a positive impact on the world, society and the lives of others.

Are you interested in joining SBE? You will work in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment with motivated colleagues dedicated to helping society make informed choices. SBE employs roughly 600 staff, with 7,250 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and 1,700 executive students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.