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Postdoc: Survivor – Political Elites' Selection Process

  • VU Hoofdgebouw
  • Amsterdam
  • 0,8 / 0,8
  • School of Business and Economics
  • Onderzoeker / Postdoc
  • WO / MSc
  • Publicatiedatum
    12-05-2025
Solliciteer direct
Are you interested in using computational methods to analyze politicians’ personalities from video and text? Apply now for a Postdoc at Ethics, Governance and Society, part of the School of Business and Economics.

Jouw functie

Who becomes politically active and succeeds in a political career? The selection process for politicians can be visualized as a ladder, beginning with the initial ambition of citizens to run for office and culminating in the "survival" of national MPs at the top. This Vidi grant-funded project by the Dutch Research Council NWO, based at the Ethics, Governance and Society (EGS) department of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, explores how personality traits influence this selection process. At each step of the ladder, we find people who do or do not have the ambition to climb. Among those who aspire to climb, we find people that do and do not make it. How do these people differ from each other in terms of personality traits?  And crucially, which personality traits do European citizens deem desirable traits for politicians?

This interdisciplinary project applies personality psychology models to provide unparalleled insights into the traits of (aspiring) politicians. Here we are particularly interested in so-called virtue related traits like honesty-humility and the traits from the Dark Triad (e.g., narcissism) and Light Triad (e.g., faith in humanity). The project examines the impact of these and other personality traits at several essential stages of the selection process: from the nascent ambition of citizens (the bottom of the ladder), to the progressive ambition of local politicians, to the promotion and retention of national MPs (the top of the ladder). At each step, we identify how personality traits predict political ambition and the fulfilment of this ambition. We also consider the role of (party) voters and selectorates within this selection process. The project team comprises a PhD candidate, a postdoc, dr. Loes Aaldering, dr. Matthijs Rooduijn, and dr. Marc van de Wardt (principal investigator).

As a postdoctoral researcher, your primary focus will be on applying computational methods to assess personality traits among national Members of Parliament (MPs). Working closely with the team, you will contribute to the collection of self-reported personality data from MPs via questionnaires. You will also supervise student assistants who will support you in gathering video recordings of MPs’ inaugural speeches and parliamentary debate contributions. In addition, you will help develop procedures for coding MPs’ personality traits at a distance—so-called “other-ratings”—based on these videos, in collaboration with a team of student coders. Your key role will be to use both the self-reported personality data and the other-ratings as a gold standard to train algorithms capable of detecting personality traits from video (inaugural speeches) and text (legislative speeches). Furthermore, you will link these personality assessments to biographical data on MPs’ parliamentary careers. This comprehensive approach will allow us to investigate how personality traits predict political survival. As this is a cross-national project, you will regularly collaborate with researchers from other institutions.

Duties of a Postdoc

  • Collecting data on the personality traits of national MPs through questionnaires and other-ratings together with the team.
  • Utilizing these measures to train algorithms that can detect personality traits based on videos and text data.
  • Contributing to data collection of biographical background information on MPs.
  • Writing and submitting scientific articles to peer-reviewed journals.
  • Participating in research seminars.
  • Visiting conferences where you present your work.
  • This is a 0.8 fte position that consists for 100% of research. Yet, you are encouraged to expand your appointment, including the length, through educational tasks. Teaching opportunities include the different educational programs of the VU School of Business and Economics, the VU’s multidisciplinary Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program, Amsterdam University College, and there may be opportunities in VU programs aimed at graduate students like the Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI).  

Jouw profiel

  • A (nearly completed) PhD with a strong focus on computational methods and data science, ideally applied to fields like political science, psychology, or economics.
  • Proven skills in machine learning, programming (especially Python), and working with video/text data.
  • Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
  • Strong communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; able to work independently and guide others (e.g., PhD students or coders).
  • Enthusiastic about interdisciplinary collaboration and willing to relocate to the Netherlands if applicable.

Wat bieden wij

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a salary of minimum € 3.378,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.331,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
  • a position for 0.8 FTE.
  • Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended with another 1.5 years, Hence, the total duration is 2.5 years (30 months).
  • You are encouraged to expand your appointment, including the length, through educational tasks.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • contribution to commuting expenses
  • optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Over ons

EGS

The Department of Ethics, Governance, and Society (EGS) (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/faculties/school-of-business-and-economics/departments/ethics-governance-and-society) is one of the departments of the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. EGS is a multidisciplinary hub of scholars focusing on behavioral, ethical, and political decision-making in organizations, institutions, markets, and society. The EGS scholars cover a wide expertise, from behavioral economics to health economics, political and social sciences, ethics and logic, and governance. What drives our work is the increasing need for expertise that spans across different disciplines in the face of many great societal challenges. The multidisciplinary nature of our research is reflected by the variety of top journals in which we publish, such as the Journal of Political Economy, Games and Economic Behavior, Academy of Management Journal, American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Harvard Business Review, American Journal of Sociology, and the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. Finally, the versatility of our team is reflected in our teaching. Within SBE we teach courses in the programs of Bedrijfskunde and International Business Administration on topics like experimental economics, organizational culture, and human resource management. Outside SBE, we offer courses for Amsterdam University College on themes such as International Relations and Comparative Public Policy. We are also involved in the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program within the VU.

School of Business and Economics
We at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at VU Amsterdam bring together socially relevant teaching and research in the areas of business administration and economics. We focus on real-life issues that have a huge impact on society, economics and ecology: from robotics to big data, and from job market participation to change management.

Collaboration and cooperation, transparency and social responsibility are four keywords that embody our approach. Students, researchers and staff at SBE share real-world knowledge in order to devise solutions together to global economic and social challenges. In order to make a positive impact on the world, society and the lives of others.

Are you interested in joining SBE? You will work in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment with motivated colleagues dedicated to helping society make informed choices. SBE employs roughly 600 staff, with 7,250 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and 1,700 executive students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interesse

If you are enthusiastic about this project and possess the requisite skills, you are warmly encouraged to submit a letter of motivation (1 A4), your CV and contact details of three references (names and e-mail addresses).

Candidates invited for an interview will be asked to write a brief proposal (1500 words) outlining their ideas for the Postdoc position.

The position will stay open until filled with the most fitting candidate. Yet, we have planned the job interviews to take place in the week of June 23rd, so we encourage you to apply well before that time. The envisaged starting date is September 1st 2025, but a later start is negotiable.

The interviews take place in person at the VU campus in Amsterdam.  

Submitting a diploma is part of the application process.

Jouw functie

Who becomes politically active and succeeds in a political career? The selection process for politicians can be visualized as a ladder, beginning with the initial ambition of citizens to run for office and culminating in the "survival" of national MPs at the top. This Vidi grant-funded project by the Dutch Research Council NWO, based at the Ethics, Governance and Society (EGS) department of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, explores how personality traits influence this selection process. At each step of the ladder, we find people who do or do not have the ambition to climb. Among those who aspire to climb, we find people that do and do not make it. How do these people differ from each other in terms of personality traits?  And crucially, which personality traits do European citizens deem desirable traits for politicians?

This interdisciplinary project applies personality psychology models to provide unparalleled insights into the traits of (aspiring) politicians. Here we are particularly interested in so-called virtue related traits like honesty-humility and the traits from the Dark Triad (e.g., narcissism) and Light Triad (e.g., faith in humanity). The project examines the impact of these and other personality traits at several essential stages of the selection process: from the nascent ambition of citizens (the bottom of the ladder), to the progressive ambition of local politicians, to the promotion and retention of national MPs (the top of the ladder). At each step, we identify how personality traits predict political ambition and the fulfilment of this ambition. We also consider the role of (party) voters and selectorates within this selection process. The project team comprises a PhD candidate, a postdoc, dr. Loes Aaldering, dr. Matthijs Rooduijn, and dr. Marc van de Wardt (principal investigator).

As a postdoctoral researcher, your primary focus will be on applying computational methods to assess personality traits among national Members of Parliament (MPs). Working closely with the team, you will contribute to the collection of self-reported personality data from MPs via questionnaires. You will also supervise student assistants who will support you in gathering video recordings of MPs’ inaugural speeches and parliamentary debate contributions. In addition, you will help develop procedures for coding MPs’ personality traits at a distance—so-called “other-ratings”—based on these videos, in collaboration with a team of student coders. Your key role will be to use both the self-reported personality data and the other-ratings as a gold standard to train algorithms capable of detecting personality traits from video (inaugural speeches) and text (legislative speeches). Furthermore, you will link these personality assessments to biographical data on MPs’ parliamentary careers. This comprehensive approach will allow us to investigate how personality traits predict political survival. As this is a cross-national project, you will regularly collaborate with researchers from other institutions.

Duties of a Postdoc

  • Collecting data on the personality traits of national MPs through questionnaires and other-ratings together with the team.
  • Utilizing these measures to train algorithms that can detect personality traits based on videos and text data.
  • Contributing to data collection of biographical background information on MPs.
  • Writing and submitting scientific articles to peer-reviewed journals.
  • Participating in research seminars.
  • Visiting conferences where you present your work.
  • This is a 0.8 fte position that consists for 100% of research. Yet, you are encouraged to expand your appointment, including the length, through educational tasks. Teaching opportunities include the different educational programs of the VU School of Business and Economics, the VU’s multidisciplinary Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program, Amsterdam University College, and there may be opportunities in VU programs aimed at graduate students like the Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI).  

Jouw profiel

  • A (nearly completed) PhD with a strong focus on computational methods and data science, ideally applied to fields like political science, psychology, or economics.
  • Proven skills in machine learning, programming (especially Python), and working with video/text data.
  • Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
  • Strong communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; able to work independently and guide others (e.g., PhD students or coders).
  • Enthusiastic about interdisciplinary collaboration and willing to relocate to the Netherlands if applicable.

Wat bieden wij

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a salary of minimum € 3.378,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.331,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
  • a position for 0.8 FTE.
  • Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended with another 1.5 years, Hence, the total duration is 2.5 years (30 months).
  • You are encouraged to expand your appointment, including the length, through educational tasks.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • contribution to commuting expenses
  • optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Over ons

EGS

The Department of Ethics, Governance, and Society (EGS) (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/faculties/school-of-business-and-economics/departments/ethics-governance-and-society) is one of the departments of the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. EGS is a multidisciplinary hub of scholars focusing on behavioral, ethical, and political decision-making in organizations, institutions, markets, and society. The EGS scholars cover a wide expertise, from behavioral economics to health economics, political and social sciences, ethics and logic, and governance. What drives our work is the increasing need for expertise that spans across different disciplines in the face of many great societal challenges. The multidisciplinary nature of our research is reflected by the variety of top journals in which we publish, such as the Journal of Political Economy, Games and Economic Behavior, Academy of Management Journal, American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Harvard Business Review, American Journal of Sociology, and the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. Finally, the versatility of our team is reflected in our teaching. Within SBE we teach courses in the programs of Bedrijfskunde and International Business Administration on topics like experimental economics, organizational culture, and human resource management. Outside SBE, we offer courses for Amsterdam University College on themes such as International Relations and Comparative Public Policy. We are also involved in the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program within the VU.

School of Business and Economics
We at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at VU Amsterdam bring together socially relevant teaching and research in the areas of business administration and economics. We focus on real-life issues that have a huge impact on society, economics and ecology: from robotics to big data, and from job market participation to change management.

Collaboration and cooperation, transparency and social responsibility are four keywords that embody our approach. Students, researchers and staff at SBE share real-world knowledge in order to devise solutions together to global economic and social challenges. In order to make a positive impact on the world, society and the lives of others.

Are you interested in joining SBE? You will work in a stimulating, dynamic and international environment with motivated colleagues dedicated to helping society make informed choices. SBE employs roughly 600 staff, with 7,250 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and 1,700 executive students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Vragen over de vacature?

Neem contact op met

dr. Marc van de Wardt

Associate Professor

Interesse

If you are enthusiastic about this project and possess the requisite skills, you are warmly encouraged to submit a letter of motivation (1 A4), your CV and contact details of three references (names and e-mail addresses).

Candidates invited for an interview will be asked to write a brief proposal (1500 words) outlining their ideas for the Postdoc position.

The position will stay open until filled with the most fitting candidate. Yet, we have planned the job interviews to take place in the week of June 23rd, so we encourage you to apply well before that time. The envisaged starting date is September 1st 2025, but a later start is negotiable.

The interviews take place in person at the VU campus in Amsterdam.  

Submitting a diploma is part of the application process.

Vragen over de vacature?

Neem contact op met

dr. Marc van de Wardt

Associate Professor

Sollicitatieprocedure

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