Postdoctoral fellow: Addressing the gendered odds of new venture founding

Are you passionate about gender equality in entrepreneurship? Join us on this exciting research project! Here, you design and test cutting-edge interventions that help to support female founders in scaling their ventures. In addition, you conduct field experiments with Dutch partners to drive real societal impact.

The department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) invites you to apply for this position as a postdoctoral fellow as part of a large-scale research project entitled Addressing the gendered odds of new venture founding and funding.

As the postdoctoral fellow in RSM’s department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, you have a strong desire for research and the potential to build a record of excellence in the field of entrepreneurship. Furthermore, you are enthusiastic about your research at RSM on the gender gap in entrepreneurship.

You join a terrific and exceptionally collegial and international group of faculty on the tenure track. This group includes Christopher Sabel (BI Norwegian Business School), Andreas Distel (Copenhagen Business School), Xena Welch Guerra (University of St. Gallen), Emanuel Ubert (Universita della Svizzera Italiana/USI), Caroline Witte (Copenhagen Business School), Jens-Christian Friedmann (Bocconi), and Patia McGrath (University of North Carolina). Additionally, we have a strong record of placements at peer institutions like INSEAD, HEC, Cambridge University (Judge), University of Warwick, University of South Carolina (Moore), Aalto University, and McGill University.

We take pride in our high-performance research culture. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) ranks third in Europe in terms of 2019-2023 UTD top journal output. You work together with talented faculty members routinely publish in top-tier journals like the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Organization Science and Management Science.

RSM faculty members also regularly serve as editors and associate editors of top journals like Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Management and Journal of Management Studies.

You work under the direct supervision of the principal investigators on this project, Prof. Pursey Heugens and Dr Laura Rosendahl Huber. You also collaborate closely with the PhD student who has been hired as part of this project. Your task predominantly consists of designing different pilot experiments and developing a proof-of-concept intervention in collaboration with our societal partners.

In terms of research, the research culture and resources set by RSM’s research institute, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), aim to provide you with the best conditions in which to conduct outstanding research.

As our ideal candidate, you possess a doctorate degree (or you are in your final year of dissertation research) in management, strategy, economics, psychology or other related quantitative and/or social science domains.

Next to that, you have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Experimental design and analysis, causal inference or econometrics.
• Experience in designing and conducting field experiments (RCTs) is a plus.
• Strong social and communication skills.

Your teaching load is maximum 20% of your time. This corresponds to teaching approximately one master elective course and some master thesis student supervision.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 01-SEP-2025 This position is for 0.8 fte - 0.8 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 4,537 to a maximum of € 6,209 gross per month Scale 11 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU.

The contract is offered for a period of one year. Following a positive evaluation, the contract may be extended for an additional two years, allowing for a total duration of up to three years.

Everything else we offer you; you can find below!

-        Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40-hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!

-        Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.

-        Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget and free access to our university library.

-        Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.

-        Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare (daycare not paid for by EUR).

-        Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the expat ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them. 

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM)

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers.

www.rsm.nl 

RSM is an equal opportunity employer and explicitly encourages applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, and nationalities.

The department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) invites you to apply for this position as a postdoctoral fellow as part of a large scale research project entitled Addressing the gendered odds of new venture founding and funding.

This is a full-time temporary position with a contract for 38 hours per week starting September 2025, with a flexible start date into early 2026. The contract duration is for three years. 

To apply for this vacancy, send us your cover letter and recent CV, along with all of the following:

• A job market paper
• Research statement
• Teaching statement
• Teaching evaluations (if available)
• Three letters of recommendation

Depending on your availability, interviews will be conducted either virtually or in-person.

Do you have any questions or would you like more information about this vacancy? Please contact Prof. Pursey Heugens (pheugens@rsm.nl) or Dr Laura Rosendahl Huber (rosendahlhuber@rsm.nl).

NOTE: the deadline for applications is Friday, 21 March 2025. However, we will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.