Graduate Assistant (PhD Student) in Marketing

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The Department of Marketing at HEC Lausanne (Faculty of Business and Economics) invites applications for the position of Graduate Assistant (PhD student) in Marketing under the co-supervision of Professor Isabelle Engeler and Dr. Simona Haasova.

Job information

Expected start date:  01.02.2027, or a mutually agreed date

Contract length:        1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years. The maximum duration is 5 years.

Activity rate:              100%

Workplace:                University of Lausanne, Switzerland

The open position is funded by the University of Lausanne. In addition to the doctoral coursework (for the 1st 2 years), beautiful at-lake campus, inspiring and supportive colleagues, and a well-equipped research lab, the successful candidate will get the opportunity to attend research seminars, workshops, doctoral consortiums and participate in national and international conferences as well as learn from wide network of experts in various collaborations.

Your responsibilities

• A minimum of 50% of the graduate assistant's time will be dedicated to the completion of a doctoral dissertation.


• A maximum of 50% of the graduate assistant's time will be dedicated to providing teaching, administrative and research support for the supervisor.
  
  

The successful candidate will work toward the completion of a PhD thesis.

Your qualifications

We seek a highly motivated PhD candidate with a background in marketing, psychology, behavioral science, or a related field. Potential research topics include consumer decision-making, health behavior, sustainability transitions, digital environments, habit formation, self-regulation, goal pursuit, and behavior change across individual and societal contexts.

Academic degree: You hold, or are close to completing, a Master’s degree in Marketing, Social Psychology, Management, Behavioral Science, or a related discipline.

Research interests: You have a strong interest in consumer decision-making, behavioral interventions, health and sustainable behaviors. You are open to combining experimental, longitudinal, field, and computational methods, using reproducible and open science practices. Interest in AI-assisted research workflows, text analysis, or advanced statistical modeling is welcome.

Interest in academic work: You are curious, highly motivated, and genuinely interested in understanding human behavior. You are committed to pursuing a PhD project over several years, developing as an independent researcher, and actively shaping your own research trajectory.

Quantitative skills and statistical knowledge: You have a fundamental understanding of statistical analyses and empirical research methods, experience with quantitative / experimental / survey-based research, and statistical programming skills (e.g., R / Python).

Soft skills: You have strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills, reliability, self-motivation, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team, are open to feedback and continuous learning.

Language skills: Applicants should have an excellent English proficiency (French skills are an advantage but not a necessity).

Ph.D. program: You are eligible to enter the PhD program of HEC Lausanne. Please check requirements here:  https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home/menuinst/recherche/ecole-doctorale/phd-management.html . The successful candidate will have to apply to the Doctoral Program in Management.

What the position offers you

We offer an attractive workplace in a multicultural, diverse, and dynamic academic environment. Our international and interdisciplinary team is committed to creating an inclusive and respectful research environment in which diverse perspectives are valued and all members are encouraged to contribute. We strive to maintain a collaborative, supportive, and intellectually ambitious environment. The candidate will join a broad research community, collaborate with leading scholars and practice partners, and receive tailored mentorship and training to develop expertise in research design, advanced methods, publishing, grant writing, teaching, and scientific communication.

Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover here:  https://www.unil.ch/unil/en/home/menuinst/travailler/avantages.html

Contact for further information

Dr. Simona Haasova, E-Mail schreiben

Your application

Deadline: August 15th, 2026

Please send the following documents in Word or PDF:

• Motivation letter (personal areas of interest in research, motivation to pursue a PhD, future career plans, and why you fit the position)

• Curriculum vitae

• Copy of diplomas and course grades

• Electronic version of a research work (e. g., master thesis, term paper, conference paper)

• Research proposal following these guidelines

• 2 Reference letters: These letters must be sent directly by the referees from their professional email addresses.
  (Please ask them to email their letters to E-Mail schreiben with the subject line: Reference Letter - [Applicant Last Name] - [Applicant First Name].")

Only applications through this website will be taken into account:  https://www.unil.ch/carrieres

Seeking to promote an equitable representation of men and women among its staff, the University encourages applications from women.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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