PhD Candidate Inclusive Work for Sustainable Employability

Welcome to Maastricht University!
How can organisations create meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities for people who experience challenges in securing long-term employment? And how can inclusive employment benefit not only these people, but also their colleagues, teams and organisations? In this PhD project, you will contribute to answering these societally important questions through research with direct practical relevance. Together with researchers, organisations and professionals in the field, you will help develop evidence-based approaches to more inclusive workplaces. 

PhD Candidate Inclusive Work for Sustainable Employability 

Our goal: To understand how organisations can design work in ways that promote inclusion and sustainable employability for people with a distance to the labour market. 

Your colleagues: You will join an enthusiastic and collaborative team of researchers within the Centre of Expertise for Inclusive Organisations (CIAO), the Work and Organisational Psychology section at the Department of Work and Social Psychology of Maastricht University. 

Organizations increasingly recognize the importance of inclusive employment. However, creating sustainable opportonities for people with some physical or psychological condition remains challenging for many organizations. Accordingly, there is still much to learn about how work can be organised to support long-term labor participation and well-being. 

In this PhD project, you will study how organisations can redesign work at the team and organisational unit levels to create more inclusive employment opportunities. You will investigate what makes work valuable for employees in inclusive employment arrangements and how organisations can practically foster sustainable employability for all workers involved. 

The project combines close collaboration with practice and rigorous scientific research. You will use a variety of research methods, including interviews, intervention studies, diary studies and longitudinal quantitative research. Through this work, you will contribute to both scientific knowledge and practical solutions for more inclusive workplaces. 

As a PhD candidate, you will become part of a vibrant academic community where collaboration, knowledge exchange, and societal impact are highly valued. You will develop as an independent researcher while contributing to meaningful change in the world of work. 

What you do 

• You conduct innovative research that contributes to a better understanding of inclusive work and sustainable employability. 
• You develop research questions and hypotheses related to inclusive employment and sustainable employability.  
• You design and conduct qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies.  
• You collect, analyse and interpret research data.  
• You collaborate with organisations and practitioners to ensure practical relevance and impact.  
• You publish your findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals.  
• You present your work at national and international scientific conferences.  
• You contribute to teaching activities, including tutoring and thesis supervision within the Work and Organisational Psychology Master's programme.  
• You work towards completing a PhD dissertation within four years.  

Are you excited about combining scientific excellence with societal impact? Then we would love to meet you. 

What you bring 

It is not about ticking boxes; it is about your curiosity, motivation and commitment to creating more inclusive workplaces. Do you recognise yourself in this profile? 

Within our team, collaboration, openness and societal engagement are central. We are looking for someone who enjoys connecting science and practice and who is motivated to contribute to meaningful research with real-world impact. 

• Curious and socially engaged – You are interested in understanding how work can be organised in ways that benefit diverse groups of employees. 
• Research-minded and analytical – You enjoy developing research questions, working with data and translating findings into meaningful conclusions. 
• Independent and proactive – You take ownership of your work while actively seeking collaboration and feedback. 
• Strong communicator – You communicate effectively with researchers, practitioners and people from diverse backgrounds. 
• Open to learning – You are motivated to further develop your qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research skills. 

In addition, you bring: 

• A Master's degree in Work and Organisational Psychology or a related field, or you expect to graduate before the start of the position.  
• A demonstrable interest in inclusive work, sustainable employability and vulnerable populations.  
• Quantitative research and data analysis skills, with experience in or affinity for software such as SPSS, R, Mplus or similar software.  
• Good planning, organisational, and project management skills.  
• Scientific writing skills and the willingness to further develop these.  
• Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken.  
• Good Dutch and/ or German language skills, both written and spoken.  

What we offer 
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 12-month contract (1,0 fte) with the prospect of a 3 year extension.
• A gross monthly salary between €3059,00 and €3881,00 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN)
At FPN, we share a curiosity about the human brain and behaviour. Together with our students, we explore how our brains function and learn why we do what we do. We connect perspectives and contribute to living together in society.

About the Centre of Expertise for Inclusive Organisations (CIAO) 

CIAO is a knowledge centre dedicated to creating more inclusive organisations and labour markets. Researchers collaborate closely with organisations and societal partners to develop evidence-based solutions that enable sustainable and meaningful employment for diverse groups of workers. 

About Work and Organisational Psychology 

The Work and Organisational Psychology (WOP) section is part of the Department of Work and Social Psychology at Maastricht University. Researchers investigate how organisations can create healthy, sustainable, and productive work environments. Key themes include occupational health, leadership, team flourishing, organisational behaviour and the future of work. 

Our research is characterised by a strong combination of scientific rigour and societal relevance. We value collaboration, knowledge sharing, and an open and supportive academic culture.  

Interested?

Would you like to know more about this position or working at Maastricht University? 

Please contact Dr. Bram Fleuren (bram.fleuren@maastrichtuniversity.nl) or Dr. Rosine Rutten (rosine.rutten@maastrichtuniversity.nl). 

Ready to apply? 

Please upload: 

• Your CV  
• A motivation letter  
• Your grade list  
• Your Master’s thesis (or thesis proposal if the thesis is not yet available)  

Please be aware of the application question that needs to be answered. 

The application deadline is 5 July 2026. Interviews are expected to take place in week 29 (the week of the 13-17th of July). The intended starting date is August or September 2026, but will be determined together with the selected candidate.  

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.