Postdoc Position – Building an Interdisciplinary Lab for Human-Centric Decision-Making

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• Postdoc Position – Building an Interdisciplinary Lab for Human-Centric Decision-Making
  
  

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BMSPostDoc

Postdoc Position – Building an Interdisciplinary Lab for Human-Centric Decision-Making

Are you passionate about strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration in human-centric decision-making? Join us as a Postdoc researcher!

Apply now

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Key takeaways

Hours

38 - 40 hr.

Salary indication

Salary gross/monthly

based on full-time

€ 3,378 - € 6,209

Deadline

15 Jun 2025

We are seeking an impact-driven postdoctoral researcher to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration in human-centric decision-making (HCDM) in transportation, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare logistics. The position is hosted by the Industrial Engineering & Business Information Systems (IEBIS) section at the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS) at the University of Twente (UT).

This position focuses on connecting three existing research centres within our university: (1) BMS Lab, which contributes behavioural insights and methodological expertise in human decision-making, (2) CHOIR, which focuses on healthcare applications, ensuring relevance of HCDM in healthcare logistics (both patient- and health professional-centric decision-making), and (3) TSLOTS, which specialises in logistics research and, with further development, more broadly to smart manufacturing and production systems.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Developing and integrating a shared software/hardware infrastructure and supporting its use in research, education, and communities.
• Driving cross-lab collaboration on HCDM themes with researchers and industry partners by promoting the lab and organizing events/meet-ups.
• Supporting new and ongoing pilot projects in transportation, logistics, and healthcare logistics settings, and contributing to grant proposals.
• Expanding TSLOTS into a hub for smart manufacturing and logistics innovation through partnerships and a defined research agenda,.
• Integrating smart manufacturing demonstrators and digital twins into the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) educational programs.
  
  

You will work closely with faculty, PhD/EngD students, and companies, with a focus on hands-on impact, applied research, and knowledge transfer to industry and education. Projects include topics like AI-enhanced engineering teams and human-centric logistics aligned with Industry 5.0.

Your profile

We are looking for a proactive, impact-oriented postdoctoral researcher who thrives in interdisciplinary environments and has a clear drive to bridge academic research with real-world applications. We list the following key qualifications of the postdoctoral researcher.

Educational Background

• PhD degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations research, Computer Science, Econometrics, Transport Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Supply Chain Management, or related discipline;
  
  

Core Skills

• Solid project management and organizational skills; experience in community building and stakeholder engagement is highly valued;
• Team player who can work independently and take ownership of the development and implementation of the lab initiative;
• Strong communication skills and an excellent command of English; the ability to engage and inspire a range of audiences, from students to senior industry partners.
  
  

Experience

• Experience or strong interest in developing lab infrastructure (software/hardware platforms, demonstrators, living labs);
• Proven ability to work across disciplines and connect diverse research domains (e.g., behavioral sciences, logistics, healthcare, smart manufacturing);
• Demonstrated experience in initiating and managing research projects with academic and industry partners;
• Experience in grant writing, acquisition of external funding, or consortium building;
• Affinity and/or experience with open science practices, including the creation of open-source repositories and dissemination of research outputs;
• Affinity and/or experience with machine learning and optimisation techniques;
• Affinity and/or experience with human-centric decision-making, human-machine collaboration, and/or autonomous systems;
• Affinity with educational innovation and experience in integrating research into teaching (e.g., lab-based teaching tools, digital twins);
• Knowledge of Industry 5.0 concepts and human-centric AI is an advantage.
  
  

Personality

• Impact-driven, proactive and entrepreneurial mindset;
• Good team spirit and feel at home in an interdisciplinary environment;
• Practical mindset with the ability to translate academic insights into pilot projects, demonstrators, and industry collaborations.
  
  

Our offer

We encourage high responsibility and independence while collaborating with colleagues, researchers, other university staff and partners. We follow the terms of employment by the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Universities (CAO).

• Our offer contains 1-year researcher position, with the prospect of an extension with 2 additional years.
• The starting salary, depending on your experience, ranges between € 3.378 to € 6.209 gross per month (in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities), based on the job profile of a researcher.
• In addition, the University of Twente offers additional attractive employment conditions (8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, solid pension scheme, sabbatical leave, professional and personal development programs, etc.).
  
  

Information and application

Are You Interested In Being Part Of Our Team? Please Submit Your Application Before June 15, 2025 And Include The Following

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasising your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position;
• A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references;
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
  
  

Additional information can be acquired via email from Martijn Mes (m.r.k.mes@utwente.nl). Please do not send applications to these email addresses

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About The Department

The HBE department is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their competence and ability. To support workforce diversity, we are open to offering flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, which may include a contract of employment, working hours and location, or childcare arrangements.

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About The Organisation

At the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), we unite the worlds of people and technology to address today’s complex societal challenges. We are passionate about understanding human behaviour, fostering responsible innovation, and designing solutions that create societal value. Our educational programmes span disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences, and Health Sciences. Through our bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Professional Learning & Development programmes, and interdisciplinary research themes – including Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations, Resilience, Smart Industry, Learning, and Health – we empower students and researchers to make a positive societal impact.

At BMS, we combine critical thinking with practical action. From advancing sustainable mobility with innovations like the world’s most efficient hydrogen car to shaping policies that promote digital inclusion, our work contributes to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future. Whether it’s exploring how technology influences human behaviour or leveraging data and innovation to transform industries and communities, we ensure that technology serves people – and not the other way around.

As an employer, BMS offers a vibrant, inclusive, and entrepreneurial environment where you can thrive personally and professionally. Join us and become part of a forward-thinking community that equips you to shape the future – for yourself and society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact.

Want to know more?

Mes, M.R.K. (Martijn)

Full Professor

Mes, M.R.K. (Martijn)

Full Professor

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Then you can contact Martijn for all substantive questions about this position and the application procedure. For general questions about working for the UT, please refer to the chatbot.

Contact

Phone:+31534894062

Email:m.r.k.mes@utwente.nl

How to apply

Step 1

Apply.

When you see a vacancy that appeals to you, you can apply online. We ask you to upload a CV and motivation letter and/or list of publications. You will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail.

Apply now

Step 2

Selection.

The selection committee will review your application and you will receive a response within 2 weeks after the vacancy has been closed.

Step 3

1st interview.

The 1st (online or in person) meeting serves as an introduction where we introduce ourselves to you and you to us. You may be asked to give a short presentation. This will be further explained in the invitation.

Step 4

2nd interview.

In the second interview, we will further discuss the job content, your skills and your talents.

Step 5

The offer.

If the conversations are positive, you will be made a suitable offer. If applicable, we will sign you up for screening.

Your Colleagues

• Akkerman, F.R. (Fabian)
  
  

Personal page

• Piest, J.P.S. (Sebastian)
  
  

Personal page

• Hans, E.W. (Erwin)
  
  

Personal page

About The BMS Faculty

Curious about what The Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social sciences (BMS) stands for? Check out the BMS website for more information.

Go to the BMS website

A job that matters

Create new opportunities for yourself, your colleagues and our society. Scientist or teacher, administrator or facilitator, thinker or doer, energetic leader or silent support – your work at the University of Twente matters. And you too!

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• Our mission Human Touch
  
  

At the UT it’s all about people, in line with our university’s High Tech Human Touch philosophy. In everything we do, the well-being and future of our students and staff are paramount. From research and teaching to personnel management, campus management and the use of new technologies.

• Our mission We are a university of technology
  
  

Our university is a public institution that serves society. We are accountable to society for the ways in which we use our academic freedom. We are responsible for ensuring that the power of science and technology is harnessed to achieve the best possible impact in a changing world. We cherish our rich tradition of combining technical and social sciences in our five profiling themes: Improving healthcare by personalized technologies; Creating intelligent manufacturing systems; Shaping our world with smart materials; Engineering our digital society; and Engineering for a resilient world.

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We help society meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. But we are also transparent about what science and technology can and cannot do in finding sustainable solutions. And help translate these solutions into everyday life.

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We want our communities to flourish and show resilience, so we seize opportunities for innovation. We are knowledgeable and have an eye for what society needs. Our students and staff receive all the guidance they need in their quest for ecological, social and economic sustainability.

“The University of Twente is all about people. Our sustainable technologies help to strengthen society.”

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The Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS) at the University of Twente (UT) is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. The HBE department aims to empower students and researchers to make a positive societal impact by combining critical thinking with practical action.