Under the skin of public professionals – Postdoc position

Introduction

For the project: Under the skin of public professionals: Responses of public professionals to ethical dilemmas in the public sector, we are seeking an enthusiastic Postdoc researcher for a period of 18 - 24 months. Public professionals increasingly operate under high pressure, having to balance formal rules, public expectations, and moral considerations. Increasingly, civil servants are confronted with ethical dilemmas in which they have to decide between, for example, fairness and legality, or between tailormade solutions and bureaucratic efficiency. In practice, there are many examples where these tensions ultimately lead to system failure or disadvantaged groups of citizens. Existing studies on this topic are largely based on interviews and questionnaires, thereby primarily analyzing perception. Research shows that perceptions of stress (cognition and emotion) and physiological manifestations of stress are often not synchronized. People may say they don't experience stress, while their physical response shows otherwise, and vice versa. In this project, we measure emotional and physiological processes as accurately as possible by using, for example, skin conductance, heart rate variations, eye-tracking techniques, and other physiological measures. Such measurements may provide insights into how civil servants function under pressure. Within this project, we aim to answer the following research questions:

• What types of ethical dilemmas lead to increased physiological autonomic arousal in public professionals?
• How do physiological reactions differ between different scenarios. For instance: dilemmas involving rule compliance versus tailored solutions, dilemmas under public scrutiny (e.g., media attention) versus without, and/or concrete versus abstract cases (information resolution);
• To what extent do physiological reactions predict choice behavior, doubt, and moral reflection?

Job description

During the project, you will work closely with Dr. Robin Bouwman. The postdoc researcher will perform the following tasks:

1) Collecting and reviewing relevant academic literature concerning the research theme;

2) Designing and conducting experiments with students as well as practitioners, public leaders, and politicians as participants.

3) Presenting findings at one or more scientific conferences and writing academic articles for publication in top academic journals;

4) Translating scientific insights for practice through presentations, workshops, or professional publications.

Job requirements

Given the nature of this project which makes extensive use of laboratory experiments, the postdoc researcher ideally possesses the following skills / has the following qualifications:

• Completed (or nearly completed) dissertation in public administration, sociology, psychology, or another relevant social science;
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience with laboratory experiments. In case of no or little experience, a strong motivation to acquire this knowledge and expertise;
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience with research based on quantitative surveys;
• Excellent research skills, such as the ability to formulate relevant and creative research questions and hypotheses, analytical skills, and a clear and persuasive writing style, as evidenced by various publications (including international peer-reviewed publications);
• Good communication skills in both Dutch and English, and a proactive and independent work attitude;
• The ability to work well in a team environment, while simultaneously maintaining a high degree of autonomy.

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 negotiable and you will be based at Campus Woudestein in Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4.728 to a maximum of € 6.433 gross per month Scale 11 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is offered for a period of 1 year and can be extended by 6 to 12 months if suitability is proven and if continued in the same position, if (financial and/or organizational) circumstances remain the same.

Everything else we offer you; you can find below!

- Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home 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. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

- 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.

- Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you 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).

- Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

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

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) combines various disciplines such as public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College is affiliated with the faculty. Within ESSB, we work in teams on education and research, emphasising interdisciplinarity, diversity, inclusion and sustainability. Together, we strive for societal and scientific impact.

ESSB distinguishes itself through inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research, in which academics and students work together on complex social issues. Thanks to this approach, ESSB successfully attracts national and international research subsidies and funds, with which we continuously strengthen and renew our education and research.

ESSB serves almost 6,000 students annually with a wide range of bachelor's and master's programmes and has more than 600 employees. These programmes are highly rated by students and alumni. Within ESSB, developing new insights and realising positive societal impact are central, always with a focus on people and society.

Visit our website for more information about the faculty, and click here for more information about our academic teams.

Group

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS encompasses the disciplines Public Administration and Sociology: two related scientific fields each with a unique profile. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes far beyond the public realm to also pay attention to public-private cooperation and the networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structures of societies and the way these evolve. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus, inter alia, on processes of globalization and individualization, and the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market and family relations. Social issues that are studied under this banner include migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and master programs of DPAS are built on this profile and develop students into scientifically schooled professionals.

Department

Team Organisation and Management
The Organisation and Management team consists of about 25 lecturers and researchers who teach and research topics such as executive agencies, interorganisational collaboration, financial management and procurement, HR policies, change management, leadership, innovation, and integrity. We train students in the bachelor’s programmes Public Administration and Management of International Social Challenges (MISOC), and three different master's specialisations: Public Management, Management of HR and Change, and Labor Organisation and Management. We also conduct research on the topics mentioned above, using a variety of research methods, from qualitative case studies to large-scale surveys and behavioural experiments. We advise organisations on their internal management, innovations and the improvement of (public) services. 

Visit our website for more information

Additional information

More information about EUR and ESSB can be found at eur.nl/essb If you have questions about the vacancy, you can contact Dr. Robin Bouwman at bouwman@essb.eur.nl.

The job interviews will take place in weeks 41 and 42.  

Applying

Please submit your application, consisting of a motivation letter and CV, before the vacancy closing date.

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.