Senior Researcher Labour Market Monitoring at Steunpunt Werk

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Department Faculteit Economie en Bedrijfswetenschappen Research Field Economics « Applied economics Economics « Business economics Economics « Labour market economics Economics « Labour economics Researcher Profile Leading Researcher (R4) Application Deadline 24 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BAP-2026-556 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Steunpunt Werk focuses on both labour market monitoringand forecasting labour market analyses. We are looking for a senior researcherwho will help lead the daily operational activities and support the coordination of the research team. For this position, we expect expertise in policy-oriented labour market research and experience working with quantitative data sources.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing in-depth substantive and methodological expertise in labour market monitoring, prospective labour market research, and the research themes covered by Steunpunt Werk.
• Providing academic leadership to the core team by facilitating knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer, and by offering feedback on research projects, methodologies, and analyses.
• Co-coordinating the internal and external working groups of Steunpunt Werk. Based on your expertise, you will also serve as a point of contact for national, regional, and local governments, as well as companies and stakeholder organisations.
• Interpreting labour market developments through data analysis, publications, and evidence-based reporting. You will also explore additional labour market topics and formulate policy conclusions and recommendations.
• Presenting research findings at working groups, steering committees, seminars, and conferences.
• Monitoring developments in regional, national, and international labour market research in order to strengthen your expertise.
• Contributing to the external representation of Steunpunt Werk towards relevant stakeholders.
• Building and maintaining networks relevant to this area of expertise and strengthening both internal and external collaborations.
• Contributing to annual reporting and planning activities for the commissioning authority (Department of Work, Economy, Science, Innovation and Social Economy) and the Steering Committee.
• Developing and maintaining code (in Python or R) and supporting the documentation of analytical methods and research procedures.
• You hold a PhD degree. Your academic background is preferably in the social sciences, such as (applied) economics, sociology, business engineering, work and organisational psychology, or a related field, with a focus on labour market research.
• You have a sound understanding of labour market dynamics and labour market policy in the Flemish, Belgian, and European contexts, and are willing to deepen this expertise further.
• You have experience working with labour market data and monitoring systems. You are familiar with administrative labour market data in Flanders/Belgium and/or survey data and are committed to further developing this expertise.
• You have extensive experience writing and presenting policy-oriented research reports and academic or professional articles.
• You have relevant experience and/or interest in supervising junior researchers and in coordinating tasks, setting objectives, and monitoring progress within a research team.
• You are eager to learn and motivated to acquire new tools and techniques, and to support colleagues in doing the same (e.g. Python, R, Git).
• You are a driven researcher who values quality, integrity, creativity, and teamwork.
• You can work effectively under pressure, set priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a results-oriented approach.
• You communicate fluently, transparently, and professionally with a wide range of stakeholders, including colleagues, public authorities, companies, and representative organisations, both orally and in writing.
• You are fluent in Dutch, both spoken and written. This is an essential requirement, as the position is situated within a Flemish context and involves working with Flemish stakeholders and commissioning bodies.
  
• You will be appointed as a Senior Researcher Labour Market Monitoringwithin Steunpunt Werk at the Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven.
• You will have the opportunity to contribute to projects with significant societal relevance and impact within a scientific research environment.
• You will join a team that values personal initiative and offers flexible working hours. Multiple days of home working per week are possible.