Research professor in Statistics and Data Science (BOFZAP)

3 Apr 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

KU LEUVEN

Department

Faculteit Economie en Bedrijfswetenschappen

Research Field

Economics » Applied economics
Economics » Econometrics
Mathematics » Statistics

Researcher Profile

Leading Researcher (R4)
Established Researcher (R3)

Application Deadline

1 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)

Country

Belgium

Type of Contract

To be defined

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

1 Sep 2027

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Reference Number

BZI-2026-12

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

• You are an ambitious, internationally oriented researcher in the domain of Statistics and Data Science. The research should contain a strong statistical component and align with recent developments in data science. It must be relevant for the field of business economics. An interest in operations research is a plus.
• 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.

• You teach courses in statistics. The statistics courses will mainly be offered to students in Business Economics, and the teaching should be tailored to the needs of these students. During the first ten years of appointment, there is a (very) limited teaching load, which allows the candidate to focus on research and to build a strong research group. 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 department is responsible, and you supervise bachelor’s and/or master’s theses. 
• 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.

 
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.

• You have a PhD in Economics, Business, Science, Sociology or a PhD in a related domain, with evidence of expertise in the field of statistics and data science. 
• 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. 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 statistics. 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.

• The vacancy is open to both junior and senior researchers. 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.
• Your campus affiliation will be the campus of FEB in Leuven, where you will join the research group of ORSTAT. 
• 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 (subject to eligibility criteria). 
• 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 .

Before you start your application, please read the full description of the procedure and important information about attachments and templates under 'Call for Research Professorships (BOFZAP)' and 'Procedure application and selection’ under 'More information'.

More information on the content of the job can be obtained from the academic contact person Prof. dr. Christophe Croux, Chair of the Search Committee, mail: christophe.croux@kuleuven.be or Prof. dr. Sophie De Winne, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, mail: sophie.dewinne@kuleuven.be.External academic reference letters (required for junior applicants) can be sent directly to evi.fosse@kuleuven.be . 

More information on the guidelines, regulations and application file is available from Ms. Kristin Vermeylen (kristin.vermeylen@kuleuven.be ) or Ms. Martine van Nierop (martine.vannierop@kuleuven.be , tel. +32 16 32 76 98).

Where to apply

Website

https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60625692?hl=en

Requirements

Research Field

Economics

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Mathematics

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Economics » Applied economics

Years of Research Experience

4 - 10

Additional Information
Benefits

• The vacancy is open to both junior and senior researchers. 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.
• Your campus affiliation will be the campus of FEB in Leuven, where you will join the research group of ORSTAT. 
• 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 (subject to eligibility criteria). 
• 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 .

Eligibility criteria

• You have a PhD in Economics, Business, Science, Sociology or a PhD in a related domain, with evidence of expertise in the field of statistics and data science. 
• 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. 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 statistics. 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.

Selection process

Before you start your application, please read the full description of the procedure and important information about attachments and templates under 'Call for Research Professorships (BOFZAP)' and 'Procedure application and selection’ under 'More information'.

More information on the content of the job can be obtained from the academic contact person Prof. dr. Christophe Croux, Chair of the Search Committee, mail: christophe.croux@kuleuven.be or Prof. dr. Sophie De Winne, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, mail: sophie.dewinne@kuleuven.be.External academic reference letters (required for junior applicants) can be sent directly to evi.fosse@kuleuven.be . 

More information on the guidelines, regulations and application file is available from Ms. Kristin Vermeylen (kristin.vermeylen@kuleuven.be ) or Ms. Martine van Nierop (martine.vannierop@kuleuven.be , tel. +32 16 32 76 98).

Website for additional job details

https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60625692?hl=en

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

KU LEUVEN

Country

Belgium

City

Leuven

Geofield

Contact

City

Leuven

STATUS: EXPIRED

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