User Researcher Human-Robot Interaction & Safety

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Department of Communication Sciences, research group Studies in Media, Innovation and Technology, is looking for a predoctoral researcher.

More concretely your work package contains:

As a User Researcher, you will take an active role in the design, execution and reporting of social-scientific and experimental research within a two-year project on human-robot interaction and (perceived) safety. You will develop a new quantitative measurement instrument and validate the instrument through experiments in a CAVE environment.

You will develop the research design, create an instrument , collect data, , conduct quantitative analysis and write scientific report(s)scientific reporting. You will translate theoretical insights from human-robot interaction, safety perception, trust, technology acceptance, human factors and user experience into measurable constructs operationalized as survey items and prepare and execute experimental protocols.

You will work from an EDDI perspective: human values, safety, responsibility, ethics and societal reflection are embedded in the evaluation of robotic innovations.

Responsibilites:

• You develop the research design for a two-year project on human-robot interaction and safety;
• You conduct literature research on existing measurement instruments and theoretical constructs related to safety, trust, acceptance, usability, workload, comfort, control and user experience in human-robot interaction;
• You develop a new quantitative measurement instrument, including construct definition, item development, expert validation and iterative refinement;
• You set up and conduct experimental studies in a CAVE environment, including submitting an ethical dossier, scenario development, protocol development, participant recruitment and data collection;
• You conduct quantitative data analysis, such as descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, factor analysis and/or validation analyses;
• Where relevant, you conduct complementary qualitative research, such as short interviews, think-aloud sessions or debriefings after experiments;
• You write research reports of scientific output and clearly communicateresearch findings to project partners and stakeholders;
• You write project deliverables, prepare presentations and formulate practical recommendations for the design and evaluation of safe human-robot interaction;
• You support project management: planning, ethics applications, meeting minutes, follow-up of deliverables and reporting.

Working at SMIT:

• You work in a stimulating, dynamic and international working environment with entrepreneurial junior researchers and experienced senior researchers;
• You have the opportunity to work in a team at the intersection of research and practice, together with experts in human-centred technology development, technology, ethics and societal innovation;
• You have the opportunity to conduct innovative research at the intersection of human-robot interaction, safety, experimental methods and human-centred technology development;
• You have the opportunity to contribute to the development of new methods and measurement instruments for evaluating safety and user experience in human-robot interaction;
• You have access to an innovative experimental research environment, including a CAVE environment for immersive simulations and controlled user experiments;
• You receive intensive support and guidance from experienced researchers;
• You will receive an attractive remuneration package including market-conform benefits, following the VUB academic research contract standards (WPP category).

For candidates with PhD ambitions, we can explore how this position may contribute to a broader doctoral trajectory, depending on profile, research focus and available funding.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a master’s degree in Psychology, Educational Sciences, Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Technology Interaction, Cognitive Science, Design Sciences, Engineering Psychology, Social Sciences, Human Factors or a similar field.
• You have demonstrable affinity with human-robot interaction, human-centred technology development, safety, trust, user experience and/or technology acceptance;
• You have experience with, or a strong interest in, quantitative research methods, survey development and experimental research;
• You have experience with scale development, psychometric validation, factor analysis, reliability analysis or statistical software such as R, SPSS, Python or other software is a strong asset;
• You have experience with, or an interest in, setting up user experiments, preferably in simulated, VR, XR or CAVE environments;
• You have experience with, or an interest in, qualitative research methods, such as interviews, observations, think-aloud sessions or debriefings, as a complement to experimental research;
• You work carefully and can handle research data and participant information confidentially;
• You are analytical, hands-on and proactive; you can work independently and also perform well in an interdisciplinary team and with external partners;
• You have a very good command of academic English. Knowledge of Dutch is a plus. Knowledge of French is also an asset.
• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info .

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a contract, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 6 months (extendable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the research activities), with planned starting date 01/09/2026.

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike;
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps;
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 14/06/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file;
• step 2: a job interview.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.