Graduate Assistant; PhD Student in Marketing Department of Marketing at HEC Facu

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

The Department of Marketing at HEC Lausanne (Faculty of Business and Economics) invites applications for the position of Graduate Assistant (PhD student) in Marketing under the co‑supervision of Professor Isabelle Engeler and Dr. Simona Haasova.

Expected start date: 01.02.2027, or a mutually agreed date

Contract length: 1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years. The maximum duration is 5 years.

Activity rate: 100%

Workplace:
University of Lausanne, Switzerland

The open position is funded by the University of Lausanne. In addition to the doctoral coursework (for the 1st 2 years), beautiful at‑lake campus, inspiring and supportive colleagues, and a well‑equipped research lab, the successful candidate will get the opportunity to attend research seminars, workshops, doctoral consortiums and participate in national and international conferences as well as learn from wide network of experts in various collaborations.

• A minimum of 50% of the graduate assistant's time will be dedicated to the completion of a doctoral dissertation.
• A maximum of 50% of the graduate assistant's time will be dedicated to providing teaching, administrative and research support for the supervisor.

The successful candidate will work toward the completion of a PhD thesis.

We seek a highly motivated PhD candidate with a background in marketing, psychology, behavioral science, or a related field. Potential research topics include consumer decision‑making, health behavior, sustainability transitions, digital environments, habit formation, self‑regulation, goal pursuit, and behavior change across individual and societal contexts.

Academic degree: You hold, or are close to completing, a Master’s degree in Marketing, Social Psychology, Management, Behavioral Science, or a related discipline.

Research interests: You have a strong interest in consumer decision‑making, behavioral interventions, health and sustainable behaviors. You are open to combining experimental, longitudinal, field, and computational methods, using reproducible and open science practices. Interest in AI‑assisted research workflows, text analysis, or advanced statistical modeling is welcome.

Interest in academic work: You are curious, highly motivated, and genuinely interested in understanding human behavior. You are committed to pursuing a PhD project over several years, developing as an independent researcher, and actively shaping your own research trajectory.

Quantitative skills and statistical knowledge: You have a fundamental understanding of statistical analyses and empirical research methods, experience with quantitative/experimental/survey‑based research, and statistical programming skills (e.g., R/Python).

Soft skills: You have strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills, reliability, self‑motivation, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team, are open to feedback and continuous learning.

Language skills: Applicants should have an excellent English proficiency (French skills are an advantage but not a necessity).

We offer an attractive workplace in a multicultural, diverse, and dynamic academic environment. Our international and interdisciplinary team is committed to creating an inclusive and respectful research environment in which diverse perspectives are valued and all members are encouraged to contribute. We strive to maintain a collaborative, supportive, and intellectually ambitious environment. The candidate will join a broad research community, collaborate with leading scholars and practice partners, and receive tailored mentorship and training to develop expertise in research design, advanced methods, publishing, grant writing, teaching, and scientific communication.

Please send the following documents in Word or PDF:

• Motivation letter (personal areas of…