Post-doctoral Researcher Sustainable Consumer Behavior

Your function

At the VU Amsterdam FSH Department of Communication Science
, we are looking for a Post-doctoral Researcher to join our team to work on a project on sustainable consumer behavior. The project, CIVIC-4CE, explores how people can help make the circular economy part of everyday life.

Many consumers want to extend product lifespans but face barriers such as cost, convenience, lack of access or lack of trust. The project studies what motivates circular choices and, together with businesses, creates new services, digital tools, and policies that make repairing and reusing accessible and desirable. By connecting behavioral research with product design, business models, and governance, CIVIC-4CE brings all actors in society together to build a practical and lasting transition toward a circular system that reduces waste and preserves value for society.

The Post-doctoral Researcher will work on a work package within the CIVIC-4CE project that focuses on understanding what psychological, social, and contextual factors and specific beliefs most strongly drive Dutch consumers’ willingness to perform circular behaviors, such as repair or re‑use, for the sector of electrical household equipment. You will work directly with Guido van Koningsbruggen and Ana Isabel Lopes. The behavioral science insights from this work package will form input for other projects within CIVIC-4CE.

The Post-doctoral Researcher is expected to conduct literature reviews, design qualitative and quantitative surveys (cross‑sectional and longitudinal), collect and analyze survey data, report and communicate results, and participate in consortium activities in the context of the larger project. This involves presenting at conferences and workshops, and collaborating on academic and professional publications.

These tasks are intended as development opportunities and will be performed under guidance, depending on your experience and growth within the role.

• A Ph.D. in communication science, social psychology, or a related social science discipline;
• Knowledge of, and interest in, sustainable consumer behavior and behavioral change theory (e.g., reasoned action and planned behavior theories);
• Experience in quantitative (surveys, longitudinal research) and qualitative research (open‑ended surveys, content analysis).
• Collaborative mindset: excellent social skills and the ability to work with societal stakeholders in the realm of the project.
• A firm belief in the importance of transparency, reproducibility, and FAIR data principles.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (C1 level or higher).
• Preferably excellent command of written and spoken Dutch (C1 level or higher).

We are committed to equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world.

We offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.546,00 (Scale 10.0) and maximum € 4.728,00 (Scale 10.7) gross per month, on a full‑time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for 1 FTE. The expected project start date is October 2026. You would start October 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter (no later than 1 November 2026). The initial employment contract will affect a period of 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for another year, for a total duration of two years.

Additionally, VU Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• A full‑time 38‑hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end‑of‑year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package