The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of the KU Leuven has two vacancies for full-time academic positions in the research department LIRIS. The vacancies are open to both junior and senior researchers. PhD students in the final phase of their studies may also apply. You will be hired in the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or (Full) Professor, depending on your qualifications and academic experience. Junior researchers will be appointed as assistant professor in tenure track for a period of 5 years, which in case of a positive evaluation is followed by an appointment as a tenured associate professor.
Website unit
Duties
Research
You are an ambitious, internationally oriented researcher in the domain of information systems engineering. You publish in international top journals within the field, attract external research funding, develop international research projects, and advise doctoral students. You strive for excellence in research and as such contribute to the reputation of the Faculty of Economics and Business and KU Leuven. You have an outspoken interest in fundamental scientific research and perceive opportunities for valorization of research findings and applied research.
Teaching
You teach courses in the field of information systems engineering at the campuses in Leuven, Brussels and Kortrijk, and in the future possibly on campus Antwerp. When assigning courses, we take as much as possible your profile and experience into account. You contribute to the optimization and continuous development of the educational programs for which the LIRIS department is responsible, and you supervise bachelor’s and/or master’s theses. Tenure track candidates start with limited teaching duties.
You develop teaching methods in line with the KU Leuven approach of research-based education with an emphasis on activating students (see http://www.kuleuven.be/english/education/education-at-ku-leuven). You take advantage of the opportunities offered by the faculty and the university to further develop your teaching skills. You contribute to the educational philosophy of the university, and you show commitment to uphold the high standards of its programs.
Service
You show a willingness to integrate in the research group, to actively participate in and contribute to professional group activities, and to take up internal service duties. You put teaching and research activities at the service of society and aim to contribute to the broader social debate. Tenure track candidates start with limited service duties.
Profile
You have a PhD in Economics or Business with an emphasis on information systems engineering or a PhD in a related domain (e.g., computer science, business information systems, industrial management, information management, …) with evidence of expertise in this field of research. Candidates who passed the predefense / reading committee with a positive evaluation before 1/1/2027 are welcome to apply as well (on the condition that the candidate would obtain the diploma before the start date of the appointment).
We are looking for candidates in the field of information systems engineering (ISE), with a clear emphasis on the engineering component. You combine a solid understanding of underlying technologies with a strong focus on information systems that support business processes. The ideal profile bridges technical system design and the organisational or user context in which these systems operate. We therefore seek researchers who address architectural and design questions of information systems, rather than profiles focused solely on user‑oriented IS research without system design, or purely technical development detached from organisational implications. Candidates whose expertise aligns closely with IS engineering—integrating technological depth with business‑oriented system design—are strongly preferred.
With a view to collaboration, the department prefers candidates whose skill sets align well with and complement existing expertise within the department: simulation, process/conceptual modeling, IoT, analytics, IS engineering, Security & Privacy by design etc. Areas of particular interest include Digital Twins and the design of AI systems for business and management. As described above, for each of these topics, the candidate should focus on both the engineering aspect and the relationship with individuals and organisations.
You have excellent research output or research potential. The quality of your research is demonstrated by publications in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, promising research projects and work-in-progress papers, and/or international research experience. Junior applicants show their research potential through the quality of their PhD dissertation or job market paper, and academic references. Experience in writing grant proposals and a strong international network are recommended.
You can show evidence of strong didactical skills and preferably have teaching experience in the field of information systems engineering. You have the necessary communication and organizational skills and are a team player.
Your written and spoken English is excellent. The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, you can follow language training provided by KU Leuven to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required standard.
Offer
The vacancy is open to both junior and senior researchers. PhD students in the final phase of their studies may also apply, provided they passed the predefense / reading committee with a positive evaluation before 1/1/2027 and obtain their PhD degree before appointment. You will be hired in the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or (Full) Professor, depending on your qualifications and academic experience. Junior researchers will be appointed as Assistant professor in tenure track for a period of 5 years, which in case of a positive evaluation is followed by an appointment as a tenured associate professor.
You will join a dynamic and internationally oriented research environment. This full-time position initially requires a clear commitment to the Leuven campus of the FEB, where you will join the LIRIS department. More information about LIRIS can be found at https://feb.kuleuven.be/research/decision-sciences-and-information-management/liris/liris. Research at LIRIS happens in close collaboration with colleagues on the Leuven and Brussels campuses of the FEB.
The Faculty of Economics and Business has systematically been ranked highly by several independent accreditation committees regarding the quality of its research and teaching programs. The FEB has acquired the renowned EQUIS accreditation and benefits from an extensive national and international network, both in academia and in the business world. For more information, please consult: http://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/research.
KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, and partner career coaching, among others. To facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase a starting grant of 110 000 euro is offered to new professors without substantial other funding, appointed for at least 50%: https://feb.kuleuven.be/nl/0790-bro-intzap.pdf.
The KU Leuven pursues a policy of equal opportunity and diversity and explicitly encourages underrepresented groups at the university to apply. For more information, please consult: https://www.kuleuven.be/engage/english/diversity/index.html.
More information
Education at KU Leuven
Research Centre for Information Systems Engineering (LIRIS)
Research at FEB
Working as a professor at KU Leuven
Diversity and inclusion
Job application procedure
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Monique Snoeck, chair of the search committee, mail: [email protected], or Prof. dr. Sophie De Winne, dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, mail: [email protected].
More detailed information on the job application procedure and the documents that need to be uploaded, can be found on the following website: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/aca-demic-staff/senior-academic-staff-tenure-track-information#job-application.
In addition to the required documents mentioned on our website, we ask that candidates also submit two additional documents mentioned as optional on the website: The research statement should focus on their research background and include a complete publication list (including impact factor and citation information if available), details on research projects, and a research plan. The teaching statement should highlight the candidate's teaching experience and include teaching evaluations, an overview of teaching activities, and their perspective on academic education.
External academic reference letters (required for junior applicants) can be sent directly to
[email protected].
KU Leuven attaches great importance to research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
