PhD Candidate in Smart Industry Labour Markets

Welcome to Maastricht University!
Are you passionate about understanding how labour market institutions shape the future of work in an era of rapid technological change? Do you want to contribute to evidence-based policy for a more human-centric and resilient industrial sector? Join a nationally funded, multidisciplinary research consortium and help build the knowledge base for a future-proof Smart Industry labour market.

PhD Candidate in Smart Industry Labour Markets

• Our goal: The Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) at Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) is seeking a PhD candidate for the NWO-funded Smart Skills @ Scale (S@S) consortium. S@S is an eight-year, multidisciplinary research programme that brings together a national network of universities, universities of applied sciences, TNO, Smart Industry communities, over 450 SMEs, and social partners to develop a scalable skills approach for a human-centric, sustainable, and resilient Smart Industry. The PhD position is a shared appointment between ROA and the Department of Educational Research and Development (ERD) at SBE. The overall scientific objective of this PhD is to generate actionable insights into institutional labour market frameworks and policies that can accelerate skills development and make the Smart Industry labour market future-proof.

• Your colleagues: You will be part of a dynamic, internationally oriented research environment at ROA, one of the leading European research centres on education, training, and the labour market. Your supervisory team includes Dr. Marie-Christine Fregin (ROA, co-supervisor and daily contact person), Dr. Therese Grohnert (ERD, co-supervisor) and Prof. dr. Tum Huijts (formal supervisor at ROA). Within the broader S@S consortium, you will work alongside other PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from institutions including the University of Twente, Radboud University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, HAN, Windesheim, and TNO. The consortium also has an international scientific advisory committee composed of senior professors from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Germany.

As PhD candidate, you will conduct original empirical research on institutional labour market frameworks and policies that can accelerate skills development and foster a future-proof Smart Industry labour market. Your work sits at the intersection of labour economics, sociology, and innovation policy, and will generate both scientific publications and actionable insights for policymakers and social partners. You will be fully integrated into the S@S consortium, which provides a rich collaborative environment with regular consortium conferences, symposia, and co-design sessions with stakeholders from industry, education, and government.

What you do

• Conduct systematic and longitudinal analyses of institutional labour market policies, examining how formal and informal institutions influence skills development behaviours among organisations and workers.
• Investigate the dynamics of policymaking processes in the Dutch labour market, including decentralised wage bargaining and interactions within the Polder model, using a complex adaptive systems lens.
• Co-create a mission-oriented innovation capability maturity labour market roadmap together with social partners, employer and employee organisations, and Smart Industry stakeholders.
• Develop and validate policy-oriented institutional labour market frameworks that incorporate skill-based approaches to employment and innovation.
• Work with large-scale quantitative datasets and contribute to the consortium’s employee panel study.
• Prepare scientific studies to be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals.
• Contribute to policy briefs, stakeholder engagement activities, and expert sessions with social partners.
• Present findings at national and international academic conferences.
• Contribute to the research community at ROA and UM, for example by raking part in ROA's internal seminars. 
  
  

Are you ready to contribute to shaping the labour market of the future? Then we’d love to meet you.

What you bring

We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognise yourself in this?

• Academic background: A completed (or near-completion) Master’s degree in economics, sociology, public policy, political science, or a closely related social science discipline.
• Quantitative research skills: Solid training in econometrics, applied statistics, or quantitative methods for the social sciences. Experience with longitudinal and/or institutional analysis is an asset.
• Research and project experience: Experience in empirical research projects and/or project management is valued.
• Substantive interest: Demonstrable interest in labour market institutions, skills policy, lifelong learning, technological change, and/or the future of work.
• Language and communication: Strong academic writing skills in English. Willingness and ability to learn Dutch at a professional working level within the first two years of the appointment.
• Collaborative mindset: A proactive and collaborative disposition, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Affinity for agile work processes is also an asset.
  
  

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

• A four-year full-time appointment (1.0 FTE), with an initial contract of 18 months and the prospect of a 2.5 year extension upon satisfactory performance. Envisaged start date: 1 September 2026.
• A gross monthly salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU), scale P (PhD), based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week, with 8% holiday allowance and 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).
• 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.
• Integration into the S@S consortium, including participation in consortium conferences, symposia, workshops.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment at ROA and ERD in the heart of Europe.

About the School of Business and Economics (SBE)
SBE is an international faculty for economics, business, and policy. We combine academic depth with societal engagement. Our education is small-scale and interactive. Our research focuses on themes such as sustainability, inclusion, and digital transformation. Together, we work on impactful solutions for the world of tomorrow.

Interested?
Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Dr. Marie-Christine Fregin at m.fregin@maastrichtuniversity.nl. The application deadline is 31 May 2026.

Please submit your application via the button below, including the following documents:

• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• A motivation letter (max. 1 page) explaining your interest in the position, relevant experience, and fit with the research topic
• A sample of academic writing (e.g., Master’s thesis or a chapter thereof, a seminar paper, or a published article)
• Names and contact details of two academic references

Selection timeline:

• Shortlisting: mid-June 2026
• First round of interviews: late June 2026
• Second round of interviews: early July 2026
• Final decision: mid-July 2026

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 prioritised.

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.