PhD in Economics University CentER Graduate School of Economics

PhD candidate in Economics at Tilburg University CentER Graduate School of Economics (24488)

Tilburg University | Tilburg School of Economics and Management

is looking for a

PhD candidate in Economics at Tilburg University CentER Graduate School of Economics

Location:Tilburg, The Netherlands

Contract size: 1 FTE (40 hours per week)

Full-time gross monthly salary: €3,204

Contract duration: Four years full-time

Desired starting date: 1 January 2027, or earlier if possible

As a PhD candidate in Economics, you will work on the NWO-funded project “Digital Technology and Women Empowerment”, led by Prof. Patricio Dalton, Department of Economics (PI) and Dr. Alexandros Theloudis, Department of Econometrics and Operations Research (Co-I).

The project studies whether digital business technology can improve the performance and empowerment of women entrepreneurs in low-income settings through two key channels: income and time use. The project combines a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Nairobi, Kenya, with structural modelling of household time allocation and intra-household bargaining.

You will be the primary field researcher for the project. You will work closely with Prof. Dalton and Dr. Theloudis, as well as Dr. Elena Cettolin (Tilburg University), Dr. Grace Wamue Ngare (Kenyatta University), and partners in Kenya. You should expect to spend substantial periods in Kenya during the design, piloting, baseline, intervention implementation, and follow-up phases of the RCT.

Your main tasks will include refining and implementing the experimental design and survey instruments; coordinating the listing and recruitment of eligible firms; liaising with local partners and the survey organization; supporting the design and implementation of the encouragement intervention; supervising fieldwork, enumerator training, and data-quality procedures; managing, cleaning, and analyzing the experimental data; contributing to the development and estimation of the structural model;

and writing and disseminating academic and policy outputs. The PhD dissertation will be developed within this project, with the precise set of papers defined jointly with the supervisors.

You will be enrolled as a PhD candidate in the PhD program of CentER Graduate School of Economics. Training can be adapted to your previous educational achievements by mutual agreement with the supervisors. There is a travel budget for PhD-level courses outside CentER, research visits, fieldwork in Kenya, and conferences. 80% of the position’s time will be dedicated to the completion of your PhD research, and 20% to the acquisition of academic skills through teaching courses and supervising Bachelor’s and Master’s theses within the department.

• An academic Master’s or MPhil/Research Master’s degree in economics, econometrics, or a closely related field that provides equivalent preparation.
• An excellent academic record (top 10% of the class as a guideline).
• Demonstrated hands-on experience implementing randomized controlled trials in low- or middle-income countries. Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa and with firms or entrepreneurs is strongly preferred. Practical experience with survey programming, field protocols, data-quality monitoring, and statistical software (such as Stata, R, or Python) is an asset.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, willingness to spend extended periods in Kenya, and the ability to coordinate effectively with local research partners, a technology provider, survey teams, and study participants. You should have a strong interest in development economics, entrepreneurship, gender economics, and household economics, and be willing to acquire or deepen skills in structural…