Doctoral Position at the Professorship of Marketing & Technology (TUM)
Marketing & Communications, IT
Zurich, Switzerland
Doctoral Position at the Professorship of Marketing & Technology (TUM)
70%-80%, Zurich, fixed-term
We are recruiting a research associate / Ph.D. candidate for a cross-border research project (funded by SNSF’s & DFG’s WEAVE scheme) on Virtual Reality, jointly hosted at ETH Zurich (Chair of Technology Marketing) and the TUM Campus Munich (Professorship of Marketing & Technology).
The two positions (Position A: ETH Zurich - technology & VR development focus; Position B: TUM Campus Munich - behavioral & psychology focus ) are complementary. We encourage you to indicate in your application which profile fits you best; strong candidates who bridge both are also welcome.
This job announcement is for position B.
Project background
The SNF & DFG funded project investigates how people perceive time and space in immersive virtual environments, approaches related questions in an interdisciplinary manner (i.e., at the intersection of psychology, technology, and human–computer interaction). We welcome candidates with a strong interest in fundamental research and, ideally, prior experience in VR research.
The project duration is set for three years.
Job description
Your role in the team
Work directly with the Principal Investigators at ETH Zurich and TUM to develop the research agenda, refine study designs, and drive the project toward top-tier publications.
Position B — TUM Campus Munich (behavioral & psychology focus)
- Primary emphasis on experimental design, consumer psychology/neuroscience, and data analysis using VR as a research tool and/or to study the peculiarities of VR. While the candidate should have strong profile in data analysis and a willingness to develop conceptual models, they should gain a fundamental understanding of developmental tasks.
- Well suited to backgrounds in psychology, (quantitative) marketing, or neuroscience.
Your reponsibilities include
- Conduct rigorous research with the ambition to publish in leading international journals.
- Design and implement VR-based experiments and analyze primary and secondary data.
- Collaborate with colleagues, international co-authors, and industry partners.
- Contribute to student supervision / VR-research seminars, or provide operational support for the project.
Profile
We are looking for candidates meeting several of the following
- An excellent Master’s degree fitting to Position B.
- A strong interest in fundamental research tackling questions on the perception of time and space in virtual immersive environments.
- Solid quantitative skills (R, Python, or Stata).
- Programming ability relevant to your target position — for Position B, programming experience is welcome but not as strongly required. Initial understanding of neuroscientific techniques (e.g., eye-tracking) is an advantage for Position B.
- High personal initiative, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the drive to thrive in an ambitious, collaborative research environment.
- Professional proficiency in English (C1/C2 or native); German/Swiss German is a plus.
Workplace
Workplace
We offer
We offer an open an collaborative working environment at the Chair of Technology Marketing (ETH Zürich) or the Professorship of Marketing & Technology (TUM):
- Start: earliest starting date October 2026.
- Contract & compensation: a 3-year contract at standard doctoral rates (SNSF rates at ETH Zurich; TV-L E13 at TUM). Further details are provided during the interview process.
- Employment: Professorship of Marketing & Technology, TUM School of Management
- Doctoral training: access to the doctoral programs at ETH Zurich and TUM, plus external opportunities for continuous quantitative training (e.g., GSERM St. Gallen/Lugano, ICPSR at the University of Michigan), including potential research stays in Germany or abroad (e.g., Netherlands, Korea, United States, Canada, Spain, etc.).
- Environment: interdisciplinary teams and collaboration with top international partners (e.g., ESADE, ETH Zurich, Oxford, Yonsei).
Curious? So are we.
How to apply
Please submit a single PDF containing:
- cover letter stating your motivation to pursue a Ph.D. and any prior experience in VR (ideally linked to perception of time and space)
- CV
- transcript of records
- Master's thesis (if available)
- two references contacts
Please submit your application to marktech@mgt.tum.de by 25th August 2026. TUM will collect all applications. For informal questions about the positions, you are welcome to reach out to the same address.
https://www.msl.mgt.tum.de/en/mt/job-offerings/#gallery25250
Equal Opportunity & Data Protection
ETH/TUM strives to raise the proportion of women in its workforce and explicitly encourages applications from qualified women. The positions are suitable for people with disabilities; disabled applicants will be given preference in the case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude, and professional performance.
Data protection information. As part of your application, you provide personal data to the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Please review our privacy policy on the collection and processing of personal data during the application process, pursuant to Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), at portal.mytum.de/kompass/datenschutz/Bewerbung. By submitting your application, you confirm that you have read and understood this data protection information.