Postdoc Position: Workplace Communication and Employee Wellbeing

1. Introduction

Join the Work, Health and Performance research group to explore how workplace communication impacts employee health and wellbeing. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will investigate leader communication through automated text analysis and examine digital communication practices more broadly, contributing to cutting-edge insights into health and wellbeing at work.

2. Job description

We are looking for a talented candidate to join the Work, Health and Performance research group as a postdoctoral researcher. In this role, you will work on a project that aims to advance understanding of how communication at work shapes health and wellbeing in organisations. The position offers the opportunity to develop two interconnected research lines in close collaboration with two assistant professors, each leading one line. The first focuses on automated text analysis of communication data to investigate how leaders convey health and safety priorities, and how these patterns relate to important organisational outcomes. The second examines digital communication practices among colleagues, with a specific focus on how email exchanges may communicate norms around work-life boundaries and how these norms connect to employees’ experienced performance pressure and more general mental health and wellbeing.

Within these lines of research, you will be responsible for developing, planning and conducting studies, carrying out rigorous analyses and interpreting results in ways that advance both theoretical understanding and practical applications. You will also play an active role in publishing findings in leading international journals and presenting them at scientific conferences and engaging with colleagues in related projects. The position offers the opportunity to expand the research scope, allowing you to bring in your own expertise and creativity. 

You will join a vibrant and collaborative research environment, where you will have the opportunity to engage with other researchers at Radboud University and beyond and to strengthen the Work, Health and Performance research group’s interdisciplinary links.

Teaching opportunities up to a maximum of 20% of your contracted employment hours may be arranged by mutual agreement, depending on suitability and interest.

3. Profile

• You have a PhD degree (or are close to obtaining one) in a relevant discipline, such as work and organisational psychology, communication science, management science, social psychology, psychological research methods, or another field related to the project topic.
• You have a good command of statistical research methods. You have experience with survey-based research and experimental designs. You also have experience with automated text analysis (such as distributed dictionary representations). If you do not have experience with automated text analysis, you should have experience with R and/or Python and be willing to develop skills in automated text analysis.
• You have an affinity for working in an interdisciplinary setting and are passionate about applied psychological research in workplace settings.
• You have a good track record in project management, showcasing the ability to work in a structured and organised manner, including good time-management skills.
• You are able to work both independently and as part of a team. You are strong in communication and collaboration.
• You have experience with preregistration of publications.
• You have excellent verbal and written skills in English as evidenced by articles published in leading peer-reviewed journals in the field.

4. We are

The Work Health and Performance Group
The Work, Health and Performance (WHP) Group examines work behaviour in the increasingly dynamic and technological context of work and organisations. We conduct innovative and rigorous research on work, health and performance, aiming to have a significant theoretical and societal impact. The WHP programme includes researchers with diverse expertise who work together with a shared mission to promote healthy working and understand the role of new technologies in work.

The Behavioural Science Institute
The Behavioural Science Institute (BSI) is an interdisciplinary research institute where fundamental, applied and translational research takes place with the aim of understanding important societal issues and contributing to their solutions. BSI is one of the three research institutes of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Radboud University. Our researchers collaborate across the boundaries of psychology, communication science and pedagogical and educational science. Our mission for the coming years is to join forces in interdisciplinary research on the theme ’Empowering the Young’. We study the challenges that young people face in our current society and contribute to their empowerment.

BSI performs high-quality research with scientific and societal impact. To foster this, the institute provides excellent research facilities and has strong collaborations with non-academic partners. Moreover, BSI is known for its successful graduate school and strong dedication to open science and team science. We stand for a warm, inclusive and cooperative research environment in which our employees are well-supported in a work culture that promotes collaboration and respect.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 2 years.
• Your salary within salary scale 10 or 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week. If you have not yet received formal approval of your PhD thesis, you will be placed in salary scale 10, corresponding to the UFO profile Researcher 4. Once your thesis has been formally approved, you will be reclassified to salary scale 11, corresponding to the UFO profile Researcher 3. 
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Laura Fruhen. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on Friday 28 November. Any second interview will take place in the week starting on Monday 8 December. You will preferably start your employment on or after 1 February 2026.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information. 

Do you already work at Radboud University and have questions about making an internal move? Learn more about internal applications.