PhD candidate in Operations Management at Tilburg University CentER Graduate School of Business

The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management (ISOM) seeks applications for a doctoral student position in Operations Management. As a PhD student you will primarily work on the development, implementation and publication of research projects. The PhD candidate will be based in the ISOM Department with their world-class  faculty contributing to research published in  leading outlets and making an impact on our industry and NGO partners, and on the livelihoods of millions. Faculty cover a wide range of research topics and methods and belong to  the top 10 ISOM research groups in Europe . You will be able to benefit from the department’s strong research focus and its numerous resources (e.g., databases, research seminars, brown bags, career planning, skills-enhancement workshops, international conferences, contacts with practitioners, etc.). 

The Operations Management research in the department focuses on the strategic, tactical, and operational design and execution of organizational systems. We study the complex dynamics of real-world operations across industries, drawing on rich empirical settings through our local and international corporate and NGO networks. Our work employs a broad range of empirically grounded qualitative and quantitative methods, including field and laboratory experiments, behavioral research, econometric and causal inference approaches, optimization and analytical modeling, and data-driven techniques such as machine learning and large language models. Our work is regularly published in the field’s top journals, including  Management Science ,  Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, Operations Research,  and Production and Operations Management.

We seek applicants with a strong quantitative background and a demonstrated interest in empirically grounded Operations Management. Suitable candidates typically hold an MSc, MPhil, or Research Master’s degree in (supply chain) management, business analytics, industrial engineering, economics, applied mathematics, or closely related fields. PhD candidates are expected to develop their own research agenda in close interaction with faculty.

You will be enrolled as a PhD candidate in the world-class PhD program of  CentER Graduate School of Business , where you will receive extensive training in theory and methods by taking several PhD-level courses (about 36 European credits) in information systems, operations management, econometrics, machine learning, extensive data analytics and qualitative research methods. The student will collaborate closely with advisors to identify, develop, and carry out their research project. The PhD dissertation will be a product of the student's creativity and initiative, shaped with guidance from the advisors, and will demand a strong dedication to scientific exploration. There is also a travel budget for attending PhD level courses outside of CentER, work visits and conferences. The training can be adapted to the previous educational achievements of the PhD candidate by mutual agreement with the supervisors.

A PhD dissertation at CentER requires the design and execution of 3 studies. The execution of the research work itself typically involves the conceptualization of the research questions and ideas, data collection, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the data, and writing and presenting of academic papers. The aim is to publish those projects in high-quality academic journals (see the  TiSEM Journal List ). Two advisors will be appointed to supervise your PhD research, taking into account your research interests and by mutual agreement. Upon successful completion of your courses and your research work, as demonstrated by a submitted and approved PhD dissertation and the subsequent defense, you will be awarded a doctorate by Tilburg University.

A minimum of 80% of the position’s time will be dedicated to the completion of your PhD research, with the remainder to the acquisition of other academic skills through teaching courses and supervising master/bachelor theses within the department. 

Requirements

Please review the formal admission requirements  here . In short, we are looking for the following:

Contract terms

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 1 FTE
• Salary between €3059 (year 1) and € 3881 (year 4) gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile Promovendus, salary scale P).
• This is a vacancy for a PhD in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 sub b CLA DU. You will initially be given a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months. The evaluation will take place after about 14 months. Upon a positive evaluation, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract of 30 months. (N.B. program is 4 years, full-time).
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
• Pension through ABP.
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

For more information, please see our  website and the  CLA Dutch Universities .