Academic Position in Operations Management

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Department Faculty of Economics and Business Research Field Economics » Applied economics Economics » Business economics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 14 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number ZAP-2026-32 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

You are an ambitious, internationally oriented researcher in the domain of operations management. You publish in international top journals within the field, attract external research funding, develop international research projects, and advise doctoral students. You strive for excellence in research and as such contribute to the reputation of the Faculty of Economics and Business and KU Leuven. You have an outspoken interest in fundamental scientific research and perceive opportunities for valorization of research findings and applied research.

You are willing to teach courses in the field of operations management at the campuses in Leuven, Antwerp, Brussels and/or Kortrijk. When assigning courses, we take as much as possible your profile and experience into account. You contribute to the optimization and continuous development of the educational programs for which the operations management department is responsible, and you supervise bachelor's and/or master's theses.

Tenure track candidates start with limited teaching duties.

You develop teaching methods in line with the KU Leuven approach of research-based education with an emphasis on activating students (see  ). You take advantage of the opportunities offered by the faculty and the university to further develop your teaching skills. You contribute to the educational philosophy of the university, and you show commitment to uphold the high standards of its programs.

You show a willingness to integrate in the research group, to actively participate in and contribute to professional group activities, and to take up internal service duties. You put teaching and research activities at the service of society and aim to contribute to the broader social debate. Tenure track candidates start with limited service duties.

You have a PhD or will earn it before 1/7/2027 in Economics or Business with an emphasis on operations management or a PhD in a related domain (e.g., operations management, supply chain management, operations research) with evidence of expertise in this field of research.

You have excellent research output or research potential. The quality of your research is demonstrated by publications in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, promising research projects and work-in-progress papers, and/or international research experience. Junior applicants show their research potential through the quality of their PhD dissertation or job market paper, and academic references. Experience in writing grant proposals and a strong international network are recommended.

You can show evidence of strong didactical skills and preferably have teaching experience in the field of operations management. You have the necessary communication and organizational skills and are a team player. Research expertise and/or teaching expertise in port logistics is a plus.

Your written and spoken English is excellent. The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, you can follow language training provided by KU Leuven to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required standard.

The vacancy is open to both junior and senior researchers. PhD students in the final phase of their studies may also apply, provided they obtain their PhD degree before 1/7/2027. You will be hired in the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or (Full) Professor, depending on your qualifications and academic experience. Junior researchers will be appointed as assistant professor in tenure track for a period of 5 years, which in case of a positive evaluation is followed by an appointment as a tenured associate professor.

You will join a dynamic and internationally oriented research environment. This full-time position initially requires a clear commitment to the Leuven campus of the FEB, where you will join the Operations Management Research group. More information about the group can be found at Research at the Operations Management group happens in close collaboration with colleagues on the Leuven and Brussels campuses of the FEB.

The Faculty of Economics and Business has systematically been ranked highly by several independent accreditation committees regarding the quality of its research and teaching programs. The FEB has acquired the renowned EQUIS…