Job Description
The Department of Finance at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics is looking to fill several PhD positions. Candidates are expected to start before the end of 2025, most likely September 1 (but earlier is negotiable). We offer 4-year positions. We have a large and culturally diverse PhD community in our department, and welcome enthusiastic, talented new PhD students. PhD positions are paid for, with minimal teaching obligations.

The department has been very successful in placing PhD students after graduation. Recent placements include top universities outside the Netherlands (MIT, Duke University, London School of Economics, Oxford University) as well as within the country (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Free University Amsterdam).

Requirements
We are searching for candidates that have a master degree, with a preference for candidates that have a 2-year master (120 ECTS).

Please refer to this document for descriptions of the projects you can apply to, as well as detailed requirements for candidates.

What we offer
As PhD positions at the Department of Finance at School of Business and Economics, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 and €3707,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

The School of Business and Economics
The School of Business and Economics (SBE) is one of Maastricht University’s six faculties. Our mission is to contribute to a better world by addressing societal problems, by co-creating knowledge and developing team players and leaders for the future.

By joining SBE, you will be part of the 1% of business schools worldwide to be Triple Crown accredited (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA). You will join an inspiring and international environment, where learning and development is priority.

Below, you first find information on our department and research institutes followed by a short description of the proposals. Do not hesitate to contact each of the people listed there if you have any questions via life-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

The Finance Department at Maastricht University is committed to high-quality research, always aiming to bridge the gap between academic rigor and real-world impact. We provide our students with the best possible Finance education at the PhD level.

The programs require hard work, but you will leave Maastricht with a Finance basis that will serve you for the rest of your career, no matter where it will take you. Our research is published in the top academic journals such as The Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, or American Economic Review. At the same time we continuously strive to create practical applications, and some of our faculty have turned their academic ideas into prospering businesses with the most famous example being the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

Graduate School: At our faculty, research is coordinated and facilitated by the Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE). GSBE is the central authority on scientific research and administers the SBE’s PhD program and research master’s programs, stimulates research in various ways, provides incentives for new research initiatives, and oversees quality and productivity. GSBE views the company or firm both as an agent in a complex and changing environment as well as an organisation of agents shaping market conditions and adapting to environmental developments. This has led to the foundation of six research programs.

European Center for Sustainable Finance: The European Center for Sustainable Finance (ECCE) at Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics is the world’s leading research institute on sustain- able finance and responsible investing. We offer high-quality research on the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards on the pricing of assets in financial markets. Moreover, we study the different ways investors can engage with the companies they invest in.

The mission of ECCE is to develop, communicate, and promote a thought-provoking and innovative body of knowledge concerning sustainable business and finance, through high-quality research, teaching, training, international networking, conferences, and other conventional outlets. Its core purpose is to encourage an ongoing dialogue between all parties capable of contributing to sustainable development, including capital markets investors, financial analysts, corporate managers, consultants, academic institutes, governmental bodies, and NGOs.

ECCE can be regarded as a ’lab for responsible investment’; a multidisciplinary research network founded by researchers with established track records in the academic domain and in the finance industry. ECCE helps practitioners and scholars understand how businesses and financial markets can promote sustainable development by considering Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) issues.

The ECCE research group receives public endorsement from institutional investors around the world and has been awarded various prestigious research grants and prizes, such as those of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley (Moskowitz Prize), the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investing, the Mistra foundation (Sweden), and the French Social Investment Forum.

ECCE closely communicates and cooperates with large institutional investors. Our industry partners include pension funds, major banks, mutual fund companies and rating agencies. You can benefit from involvement in our research at different levels, ranging from receiving quarterly research updates to being directly involved through our advisory board. For more on information, see https://sustainable-finance.nl/.

Marketing- Finance Research Lab: The Marketing-Finance Research Lab (MFRL) at Maastricht University comprises a growing group of international researchers and educators in both marketing and finance. In the lab, we share and combine our scholarship and expertise to provide interdisciplinary research, education, and engagement with business leaders. Located in the heart of Europe in the city of Maastricht, our vision is to achieve leadership in academia as well as business. Recent research projects of the Marketing-Finance Research Lab focus on matters of importance for academics and business alike, such as consumer financial decision-making, building investor relations from a marketing- finance perspective, marketing actions that reduce cash flow volatility in marketing channels, stock market sentiment, as well as new financial product development. For more information, see http://www.marketing-finance.nl.

Maastricht Center for Real Estate: The Maastricht Center for Real Estate (MCRE) at Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics is a globally leading research institute on real estate finance and investments. We offer high-quality, scientifically rigorous research on the implications of demographics, energy efficiency, health and well-being, and investment strategies for property companies, investors and markets.

Curious?
After this information, you still have any questions? Feel free to contact the Finance Department at life-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. Do you have any questions regarding the procedure, please contact Manon Souren-Huppertz (Recruiter) at manon.souren@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Applying?
Apply by uploading a motivation letter, cv, grade list and at least two reference letters by relevant scholars at the latest January 17, 2025. In your motivation letter, explain clearly why you apply for a certain position (use the codes of the projects, e.g., 2025FIN1) and when you can start.

We will take a decision within six weeks after the deadline and will notify all applicants by then (i.e., at the latest February 27) about the status of their application. Note that this may involve short-listing candidates.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.