Postdoctoral position in PlantTip project: Cognitive Modelling, Consumer Behaviour, and Behavioural Change Full-time

Postdoctoral Position in PlantTip Project: Cognitive Modelling, Consumer Behaviour, and Behavioural Change

The Department of Management at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, invites applications for an 18-month postdoctoral position in the Novo Nordisk Foundation-funded project “PlantTip” – with possibility for extension. We are looking for someone to join our team of consumer behaviour scientists and agent-based modellers who can bring knowledge of and experience with modelling cognitive or behavioural change.

The position is connected to the MAPP research centre. MAPP is a world-class interdisciplinary research centre at Aarhus University conducting social science research of highest quality. MAPP is dedicated to research on food systems that results in relevant and positive societal impact.

The potential starting date is January 2027, subject to mutual agreement.

The Research Project

The Novo Nordisk Foundation-funded PlantTip project – running from 2025 to 2028 – aims to identify societal tipping points that can accelerate Denmark's transition to more sustainable lifestyles when it comes to more plant-rich diets. We use an innovative connection of behavioural and social experimentation and agent-based models to understand and model how policy instruments, social interventions and commercial marketing measures, consumer-oriented innovations, and social dynamics can be combined to support sustainable change.

In this already ongoing project, we are now moving into the phase of building the model, using available knowledge, data, and theories on consumer behaviour and change. Here, it will be especially important to integrate knowledge on processes of cognitive change and updates among individuals and in interaction with others into our data-driven computational modelling in order to understand broader patterns of consumer change over time.

We therefore seek to welcome another team member to complement the team and contribute to this goal, with some or many of the competences and qualifications outlined below. As we know that the list of useful qualifications is long, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet them all, and to contact us before you apply if you are in doubt. Please also do so in case the position is interesting for you, but you cannot move to Aarhus.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with passion for the project to help contributing to the computational cognitive or behavioural modelling – as outlined above – as well as being part of translating the findings into publishable research results as well as actionable insights.

Candidates may come from cognitive science, psychology, computer science, computational social science, consumer research, behavioural economics, complexity science, or another relevant discipline.

We envision that you at minimum have both some understanding of and experience with the field of psychology, cognition and behaviour as well as some experience and capability in handling quantitative data and programming.

If you already have used data-driven computational methods to model cognitive or behavioural change in any substantive domain, that would be ideal.

Experience specifically with research on consumers or citizens related to food choice and the food sector is welcome but is not required. Note that you do not need to be able to speak Danish.

What We Offer:

• An 18-month postdoctoral position in an excellent research and work environment.
• An earmarked budget for postdoctoral training, travel, and conference participation.
• Membership in an established computational modelling team, including close collaboration with two researchers developing agent-based models.
• Close collaboration with researchers conducting laboratory and real-world behavioural studies.
• Access to empirical and experimental data for developing and evaluating computational models.
• The opportunity to be part of an ambitious research programme connecting computational cognitive and behavioural modelling with consumer research and sustainability policy.
• The opportunity to work on a high-impact and societally relevant research project with a talented interdisciplinary team.
• Collaborations with international partners from academia, industry, and government.
• Access to state-of-the-art research facilities and computing resources.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing data-driven computational models of consumer, behavioural, or cognitive change and formalizing relevant cognitive and behavioural mechanisms in computational models, including, where appropriate, learning, decision-making, belief updating, preference formation, habit formation, social influence, norms, identity, knowledge, and values.
• Using experimental, observational, longitudinal, survey, or other empirical data to develop, estimate, calibrate, compare, and evaluate computational models and investigate how changes at the individual level may contribute to aggregate patterns of consumer behaviour and societal tipping dynamics.
• Collaborating with the experimental research team to formulate research questions and translate empirical findings into model assumptions and parameters as well as compare alternative mechanisms and theoretical explanations for observed behavioural change.
• Designing and conducting computational experiments to examine behavioural dynamics and the possible effects of policy interventions and analyzing model behaviour and outputs using relevant methods, including sensitivity, uncertainty, robustness, scenario, and model-comparison analyses.
• Communicating findings through reports, presentations, stakeholder workshops, and participate in project meetings and workshops.
• Producing high-quality research for publication in leading international peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.

Qualifications:

• You need to have a PhD in cognitive science, psychology, computer science, computational social science, consumer research, behavioural economics, complexity science, or another relevant field.
• Preferably, you have strong programming skills in at least one language used for computational modelling and data analysis, such as Python, R, Julia, MATLAB, NetLogo, or C++.
• Preferably, you have demonstrated experience with data-driven computational modelling of cognitive or behavioural processes and experience modelling how behaviour, cognition, beliefs, knowledge, preferences, attitudes, habits, norms, or values develop or change over time -and experience analyzing computational model outputs and evaluating model performance using appropriate quantitative methods.
• We expect you have the ability and willingness to collaborate closely with agent-based modellers, experimental researchers, and researchers from other disciplinary backgrounds, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Who We Are

The Department of Management is part of Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University – a top 100 university. Aarhus BSS has achieved the triple-crown AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.

The department has an international research and teaching environment, employs approximately 160 Danish and international researchers, academic staff, and PhD students. We excel in business management, including strategy, innovation, marketing, organisation, digitalisation, and accounting. Our aim is to deliver high-quality research, with a strong emphasis on publishing in leading academic journals and presenting at recognised conferences.

You can read more about the Department of Management at: https://mgmt.au.dk/.

Further Information

The Department of Management offers a stimulating international environment. The department conducts research and covers teaching in a broad range of areas. More information about the department is available at http://mgmt.au.dk/enhed/.

All applications must be made online and received by September 30, 2026.

Further particulars on the position may be obtained from Arthur Hermes Hjorth, arthur@mgmt.au.dk, or Professor Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, jeaw@mgmt.au.dk

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR supporter Maria Løvgaard Bodin, Tel.: +45 8715 3445, Email: mgb@au.dk

Place of Work

Aarhus BSS Department of Management Universitetsbyen 61

8000 Aarhus

Denmark

International Applicant?

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information here: https://internationalstaff.au.dk/relocationservice/ Please find more information about research opportunities at Aarhus University here: http://international.au.dk/research/

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: http://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

Terms of Employment

Salary and terms of employment are governed by the Cirkulære om overenskomst for akademikere i staten (in Danish). You will be employed as postdoc at