PhD Position: Algorithmic Bias and Fair Machine Learning in Marketing

The Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is offering a fully-funded PhD position focused on the critical issue of algorithmic bias and fairness in marketing. As artificial intelligence and machine learning increasingly guide marketing decisions, the risk of reproducing or amplifying human biases through algorithms has become a significant managerial and societal challenge. This project aims to understand and address algorithmic biases in targeted marketing campaigns, developing new methodological frameworks for designing effective and fair personalized policies. The research will involve large-scale field experiments in collaboration with industry partners, leveraging causal machine learning, active learning, and policy evaluation techniques. The PhD will be supervised by Professor Dr. Aurelie Lemmens and is funded by a prestigious VICI NWO grant. The marketing group at RSM is internationally recognized, publishing in top journals and fostering a collaborative, diverse, and open science-oriented environment. PhD students benefit from expertise in reinforcement learning, deep learning, causal inference, field experiments, consumer behavior, and behavioral economics. The program includes coursework in machine learning, economics, statistics, econometrics, and quantitative marketing, tailored in consultation with advisors. Candidates will work closely with faculty to identify novel research questions, develop and code algorithms, analyze experimental and observational data, and present findings at international conferences. The project is interdisciplinary, combining economics, computer science, marketing, and management, with potential behavioral research on consumer perceptions of algorithmic discrimination. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (MSc or equivalent) in relevant fields, programming experience (R/Python), excellent English skills, and a passion for fairness and societal impact. The position offers a competitive salary (€3,059–€3,881/month), full employment benefits, and funding for a 3-6 month international research visit. The department values diversity, inclusion, and open science practices. The expected outcome includes high-impact publications and an open-access web platform for sharing data, code, and tutorials. The application deadline is January 15, 2026. For more information, candidates can consult the supervisor’s academic page and the RSM department website.