Postdoctoral Researcher - EU Horizon Projects

Introduction

The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam is pleased to announce a Postdoctoral Fellow position working on several EU projects. 

The postdoc will be part of a team working on EU projects, primarily focused on two of these directly. HARMONICA develops human-centric cognitive and physical augmentation technologies for workers in hazardous recycling manufacturing environments, embedding participatory co-design, digital twin modelling, and mixed-reality training to shift from machine-centric to human-inclusive workplaces. SHIFT 5.0 operationalises the EU's Industry 5.0 vision through systemic experimentation across nine countries, using Multi-Level Perspective analysis, Quadruple Helix collaboration, and foresight-driven skills pathways to drive organisational and behavioural transformation toward more sustainable and human-centred industry. These projects are connected to both the ongoing SEISMEC project and to a lesser extent the ENERGENIUS project. Depending on team capacity and developing project demands, flexibility will be needed in contributions to the projects. Our participation to these more technically focused projects are related to the SSH contribution to developing technologies in AI and changing work contexts. 

The postdoc is expected to contribute to the projects by focusing on SSH assessments of technology design, considering social, ethical and legal dimensions. We are particularly interested in candidates that can support on the interpretation and modification of technical requirements in developing AI systems. The selected candidate will additionally teach within the department of media and communication and be expected to contribute by means of publication development and grant proposal writing work.  

Job description

The successful candidate is expected to be involved in:

Research (80% or 0,8 fte)

• Support the ongoing development of a conceptual architecture through participatory co-design that captures functional, ergonomic, cognitive, and ethical requirements for human-centric technology in industrial environments with project partners on HARMONICA;
• Lead and coordinate ethics and social considerations across the HARMONICA project, ensuring alignment with responsible research and innovation principles throughout the project lifecycle;
• Conduct empirical research on organisational and behavioural change, skills transitions, and systemic barriers to Industry 5.0 adoption within SEISMEC and SHIFT 5.0;
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary and international consortium partners across both projects, contributing to work packages, deliverables, and reporting to the European Commission;
• Support the development and research work of PhD researchers on different projects;
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and presentations at national and international conferences;
• Engage with stakeholders including workers, industry partners, policymakers, and civil society organisations.

Teaching (20% or 0,2 fte) 

• Contribute to the overall education portfolio in the Bachelors (IBCoM) and/or Masters of Media Studies within the department of Media and Communication as determined by the head of department and supervisor.

Job requirements

To be eligible, a candidate must have: 

• A PhD in a relevant social science or humanities discipline or affiliated field (e.g. communication science, sociology, science and technology studies, media studies, legal studies, organisational studies, psychology or field related to the topic area), completed by the start date;
• Experience with participatory and co-design research methods, and familiarity with ethical frameworks in technology development or human-centric design;
• Ability to engage fluently with technical stakeholders and translate between social science and engineering perspectives; some hands-on experience with data analysis tools or digital methods is a plus but not required;
• Strong background in qualitative and/or mixed-methods research, with the ability to work across multiple thematic contexts;
• Demonstrated ability to produce peer-reviewed publications and contribute to project deliverables;
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• Proactive, organised, and able to manage responsibilities across concurrent projects;
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary and intercultural academic communities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (CEFR C1);
• Motivation to carry out high level research, publish in top peer reviewed international journals and work towards new grant opportunities;
• Prior teaching experience and the proven ability to inspire students from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, apparent from positive assessments by students and peers.

Employment conditions and benefits

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 September 2026 and you will be based at the Department of Media and Communication in the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 1 fte. The salary (living and mobility allowance) ranges from a minimum of € 4.728 to a maximum of € 6.433 gross per month Scale on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of two years whereupon depending on ongoing project funding, the position can be extended.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers: 

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home half time in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• If you currently combining your job with parenthood, or want to do so in the future, EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

Employer

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service

The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communicationl (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments: History,  Arts and Culture and Media and Communication.

ESHCC offers high quality education based on scientific research at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our ambitious Dutch and international students are educated in a stimulating learning environment. Upon graduation, they have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make important and inspiring contributions to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role.

The faculty offers three bachelor's programs and three master's programs with a total of seven specializations, as well as two Erasmus Mundus programs and a research master. Most programs are internationally oriented and taught in English.

ESHCC hosts the recently renamed research institute DERIUS (formerly the Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History & Society). Our researchers are dedicated to conducting interdisciplinary research in the fields of media, communication, culture, history, and society. Our research agenda focuses on strengthening interdisciplinary research, increasing external funding, and enhancing our societal impact.

ESHCC is housed in the Van der Goot (M) Building on the Woudestein campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Approximately 2400 students study there, and there are 240 staff members.

Additional information

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from Prof. dr. Jason Pridmore via pridmore@eshcc.eur.nl 

Applying

To apply, please send (1) a motivation letter of max. one full A4 page, (2) your current Curriculum Vitae including the names and contact details of two potential references (no letters of recommendation are required at this stage) by the end of 1 July 2026 (CET).

The selection committee will invite a small number of candidates for an online interview. Candidates may be asked to submit a more detailed research plan and/or give a presentation as part of the application procedure. Interviews will take place early July 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Persons of all gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, ages, neurodiversities, functional impairments, citizenships, or any other aspect are welcome to apply and join the EUR community.

Acquisition and mediation by third parties is not appreciated.