PhD Position on Designing and Managing Digital Work for Inclusion University of Twente in Netherlands

This fully-funded, 4-year PhD position at the University of Twente is part of the project "Don't Forget the Forgotten! Towards a Platform-Based Approach for Sustainable Employment of Workers with a Disability," funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The project addresses the challenge of limited sustainable employment opportunities for workers with disabilities by studying and co-designing socio-technological innovations. The PhD research focuses on how digital work—such as data annotation, online content creation, and software testing—can be leveraged by social enterprises (including sheltered workplaces and work integration enterprises) to promote labor market inclusion for marginalized groups.

Social enterprises face several challenges in realizing these opportunities, including convincing clients to outsource digital work to them, collaborating with new stakeholders like software developers and domain experts, and overcoming prejudices about the capabilities of their workforce. The PhD project aims to develop new theoretical insights into sheltered digital work as a nascent occupation and actionable knowledge to help social enterprises organize and manage digital work for inclusion.

As a PhD candidate, you will conduct high-quality, internationally visible research, study the opportunities and challenges of digital work for inclusion, collaborate with societal partners, and work in a multidisciplinary team with other PhD researchers from engineering and social sciences. You will receive mentorship from an experienced, international team of senior scholars specializing in digital work, online platforms, labor markets, and AI systems at work.

The position is based in the Professional Learning & Technology (PLT) section of the Faculty of Behavioural, Management & Social Sciences. The PLT section specializes in research on professional learning, collaboration, and innovation in multidisciplinary settings, often addressing grand challenges such as digital transformation and societal inclusion. The faculty unites people and technology to address complex societal challenges, offering a vibrant, inclusive, and entrepreneurial environment.

Applicants must hold or soon obtain a Master's degree in a relevant field (management, organization studies, human resource management, business administration, organizational psychology, communication science, sociology, disability studies, or related). Excellent proficiency in Dutch and English (C1; above IELTS 7 or equivalent) is required, or the ability to reach this level within 6–9 months. Dutch proficiency is necessary for effective collaboration with project partners. Interest and some experience in topics such as work and technology, nascent occupations, work design, human resource management, institutional change, labor market inclusion, disabilities at work, organizations and organizing, inter-organizational collaboration, responsible management, business modelling, or value propositions is expected. Experience or willingness to develop skills in qualitative empirical research with vulnerable and marginalized groups is desirable. Strong communication, conceptual, and analytical skills, and interest in multidisciplinary research environments are required. Affinity or experience with collaboration and community building with societal partners is preferred.

The offer includes a full-time, paid PhD position for four years, mentorship and career guidance, access to a broad network of academic and societal partners, a training programme at Twente Graduate School, financial support for international conferences and workshops, a gross monthly salary ranging from €3,059 to €3,881, holiday allowance (8%), end-of-year bonus (8.3%), solid pension scheme, flexible work arrangements, minimum 232 leave hours annually, and free access to sports facilities on campus.

To apply, submit your application via the University of Twente careers portal by March 31, 2026. Include a letter of motivation, full CV with publications and work experience, academic transcripts, MSc thesis or summary in English, and contact information for two scientific references. Interviews will be held on April 8, 2026. For more information, contact Dr. Jeroen Meijerink at [email protected].