1. You preferably hold a Master's degree in Movement Sciences, Psychology, or a related discipline (such as Rehabilitation Sciences or Educational Sciences).
2. Your academic results are excellent (at least distinction as a final grade).
3. You have a strong interest in scientific research and also value the translation of theoretical insights into practice.
4. You know how to enthuse and persuade people to participate in studies, and possess strong organisational skills to coordinate research projects efficiently.
5. You have experience with and/or a strong interest in facilitating groups. Practical experience in youth sport or a coaching qualification is an asset.
6. You have knowledge of and/or interest in advanced statistical analysis techniques.
7. You are entrepreneurial, work independently, and handle deadlines with care.
8. You possess excellent oral and written communication skills in English, and preferably also in Dutch.
Job description
9. The position involves conducting scientific research in preparation for a doctoral dissertation, including the organisation of studies, the recruitment and follow-up of participants, supervising interventions, analysing data, and writing scientific articles. You will also supervise master's theses within the research domain and provide teaching assistance for teaching assignments within the Department of Movement Sciences.
Your role within the LEADIFY project
You will be part of an internationally renowned research team within the Department of Movement Sciences with extensive expertise in leadership, sport psychology, and youth development. Within the FWO project LEADIFY (Leadership Empowerment for Athlete Development and Identity Formation in Youth), in which leadership in youth sport takes centre stage, you as a PhD student will be a crucial link.
You will develop into a versatile researcher by immersing yourself in both qualitative and quantitative methods and writing scientific articles for leading journals. In doing so, you will actively contribute to the development of a new, evidence-based leadership program tailored to the world of youth teams, with the aim of reducing early dropout and stimulating the broad development of young people, both within and beyond sport.
In addition to research excellence, we place great importance on societal impact. You will therefore be encouraged, through our expertise centre Leading Insights, to translate your research findings into practice, for example through accessible infographics, practice-oriented articles, or by giving inspirational sessions or coaching trajectories.
Are you the researcher who will put shared leadership in youth sport on the map?Do you have a strong interest in leadership and sport? Do you want to contribute to scientific insights that have a direct impact on the development of young athletes both on and off the field? Then this PhD project is for you. Our research vision: leadership is more than one person. Within our research group, we have for years maintained an innovative perspective on leadership in sport teams. Where traditionally the coach or captain is regarded as the leader, we demonstrate that effective leadership is much more broadly shared. Players take on various leadership roles — as task leader, motivational leader, social leader, or external leader — and it is precisely that distribution, also known as shared leadership, that proves crucial for team functioning, performance, and well-being. Moreover, we know that the most impactful leaders are those who are able to create a strong sense of "us": the so-called identity leaders. Based on these insights, we developed the 5R Shared Leadership Program (5RS), which helps teams build an effective leadership structure and strengthens leaders in their identity leadership. This programme has led to clear improvements in team dynamics, performance, and well-being. The next chapter: leadership in youth sport Until now, our research has focused primarily on adult sport teams. In youth sport, however, there is a great and as yet untapped opportunity. Young people are in a crucial phase of their development, in which they are growing not only as athletes but also as individuals. Sport teams provide a unique context for developing leadership skills that are not only determinative for their future sporting careers, but also of lasting value in other areas of life. Yet today we still know relatively little about how leadership takes shape in youth teams. Which leadership roles are truly essential for young athletes? Who takes on these roles, and how do they contribute to performance, well-being, and broader personal development? And how can we, building on those insights, develop a leadership program specifically tailored to the needs and world of youth teams?
As a doctoral researcher, you will join a stimulating and challenging work environment within a team of strong researchers, where the focus is not only on high-quality research but also on translating scientific insights into practice.
We offer full-time employment for a fixed term of 1 year, renewable — subject to a positive evaluation — for a maximum of 4 years in total. The research must result in a doctoral dissertation within 4 years. The candidate will obtain a PhD in Movement Sciences.
The start date can be arranged by mutual agreement (at the latest September 2026). Master's students in their final year are also welcome to apply.