PhD on human-centric AI collaboration at work

The Human Performance Management (HPM) Group of the School of Industrial Engineering, is looking for a PhD-student on human-centric AI collaboration at work (4-years; 1.0 FTE).

Job description
Are you interested in investigating how humans and AI can achieve optimal collaboration in the workplace while guaranteeing employee wellbeing? To understand when and why users are (un)willing and/or (un)able to adopt these systems in their work routines?
Come join our international and interdisciplinary team to research the future of human-AI work collaboration.
The project
In many organizations and across industries, AI is transforming the way we work. AI or robotic systems are implemented to assist employees, to decrease workload, or to increase efficiency. As their capabilities continuously improve, collaboration between humans and robotic systems becomes more common and interdependent. This also poses new requirements for the employees that need to be considered in the implementation of these systems as well as in their design.
Workplace innovation advocates the joint optimization of the social and the technical system to yield optimal organizational outcomes. The EU-funded HORIZON Europe project Smarthandle aims at developing an employee-centric design framework for AI production systems.
This PhD-project will focus on investigating: (1) how these new workplaces impact the prevailing job demands and resources, (2) how system characteristics impact the employee, and (3) how the fit between employees and the system can be improved.
Your role in this project
Within this project, you will:

• further develop the project proposal based on academic literature and in collaboration with the smarthandle consortium scientific and industry partners
• design and execute experiments and/or quantitative/qualitative (field) studies
• statistically analyze data obtained from experiments and/or quantitative/qualitative field studies and report on results
• communicate practical implications of your research to specific stakeholders/the general public
• present the findings of your research at (inter)national scientific conferences
• conduct research at one of our collaborators’ universities abroad
• publish papers in internationally renowned academic journals

The School of Industrial Engineering is one of the longest-established IE Schools in Europe, with a strong presence in the international research- and education community, and an extensive network of industrial partners. Operations Management and Operations Research are at the core of the undergraduate IE program. The graduate programs (MSc and PhD) in Operations Management & Logistics and in Innovation Management attract top-level students from all over the world. Researchers participate in industrial activities with members of, amongst others, the European Supply Chain Forum.
Human Performance Management (HPM) at TU/e develops scientific knowledge and tests theories that uncover and explain (psychological) processes contributing to performance at the organizational, team, and individual level. By examining the ‘people factor’ in operational and innovation processes, HPM aims to ensure that employees can help in bringing organizational strategies to fruition in the most rewarding and efficient way possible.
Specifications

• max. 38 hours per week
• Eindhoven View on Google Maps

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

Requirements

• Recently completed (or be close to completion of) a Master’s degree in Work & Organizational Psychology, Management Science, Cognitive Science, Industrial Engineering, Educational Science or related fields.
• Demonstrable experience in conducting experimental and/or quantitative/qualitative research, including knowledge of and demonstrable experience with applying (state of the art) statistical analysis techniques.
• Demonstrable affinity with relevant topics, such as human-robot collaboration and/or robot (AI) implementation and adoption of technologies in the workplace is appreciated.
• Good organizational skills and a proactive work orientation.
• Excellent mastering of the English language and good communication and writing skills. Note that there is no Dutch language requirement.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 15% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program ).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives  are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Additional information
More information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact
dr. Anna-Sophie Ulfert-Blank (a.s.ulfert.blank[at]tue.nl), prof.dr. Evangelia Demerouti (e.demerouti[at]tue.nl), or dr. Sonja Rispens (s.rispens[at]tue.nl).
More information about the HPM group can be found at https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/human-performance-management/ , about the EAISI can be found at https://www.tue.nl/en/research/institutes/eindhoven-artificial-intelligence-systems-institute/ .
Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact Susan Opgenoorth, personnel officer (pz.ieis[at]tue.nl).
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page .
Application
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the ‘apply now’-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications (if available) and the contact information of three references.
• Relevant transcripts (Bachelor and Master Degree)
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it.
Screening will continue until the position has been filled.
We do not respond to applications that are sent to us in a different way.
Please keep in mind you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each. If necessary please combine files.
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