The University of the Free State invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the interdisciplinary field of Industrial Psychology, Organisational Development, Data Science, and Future of Work Studies.

This fellowship is intended for an outstanding early-career researcher who wishes to undertake advanced research at the intersection of organisational workflows, people systems, behavioural science, and data-driven decision-making from an Industrial Psychology perspective.

The successful candidate will contribute to high-impact research, scholarly publication outputs, institutional innovation, and evidence-based organisational practice.

 

Research Focus Areas:

The appointed Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct research in one or more of the following areas:

•    Optimisation of organisational workflows and business processes

•    Employee productivity and workflow efficiency

•    Behavioural analytics in the workplace

•    Application of data science to HR and organisational decision-making

•    Workforce planning and predictive people analytics

•    Organisational culture and digital transformation

•    AI and automation impacts on employee wellbeing and performance

•    Performance management systems and workflow intelligence

•    Change management in technology-enabled organisations

•    Human-centred design of work systems

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must:

•    Hold a completed Doctoral degree in Industrial Psychology, Human Resource Management, Organisational Psychology, Data Science, or a closely related field.

•    Have obtained the doctoral qualification within the last five (5) years.

•    Demonstrate a strong academic track record and research potential.

•    Show evidence of scholarly publications or publishable work.

•    Have a strong interest in quantitative research and organisational systems.

•    Possess sound analytical, writing, and presentation skills.

•    Experience with Python, R, Power BI, SPSS, machine learning, or advanced analytics will be advantageous.

•    Not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship.

•    Be able to relocate to UFS for the duration of the fellowship. 

•    This is a residential fellowship: the successful applicant is required to spend 80% of her/his postdoctoral period at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Key Competencies Required:

•    Critical and strategic thinking.

•    Advanced research capability.

•    Statistical and data interpretation skills.

•    Academic writing and publication ability.

•    Problem solving.

•    Professional communication.

•    Innovation and curiosity.

•    Interest in organisational effectiveness and future work systems.

The successful candidate will gain exposure to:

•    High-level organisational research projects.

•    Advanced people analytics methodologies.

•    Workflow optimisation frameworks.

•    Evidence-based HR strategy and workforce modelling.

•    Academic publication and conference opportunities.

•    Interdisciplinary collaboration.

•    Practical application of Industrial Psychology in modern organisations.

Fellowship Duration

One-year appointment, renewable subject to performance, funding availability, and institutional requirements.

Value of the Fellowship

•    R 270 000 annual fellowship

•    R 30 000 additional research expenses funds

Commencement Date

As soon as possible.

Closing Date

Applications will remain open until the position is filled.

Applications may only be submitted online through the official UFS vacancy website: https://ufs.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/viewAll - Applications submitted through any other platform will not be considered. 

The system allows a maximum of eight attachments. To avoid upload issues, we recommend merging some or all documents into fewer files before submitting.

Comprehensive applications are invited, comprising of:

•    Comprehensive Curriculum 

•    Certified copy of ID or passport

•    Certified copy of doctoral qualification

•    Academic transcripts

•    Short motivation letter outlining research interests

•    Sample of published work or dissertation abstract

•    Proposed research topic aligned to the fellowship themes (optional)

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact 051 401 9329 or email VermaakM@ufs.ac.za / 051 401 9848 or email TeateaPR@ufs.ac.za.  

General:

The University of the Free State is committed to excellence, innovation, and the advancement of impactful research that contributes to society and the future world of work.

The UFS is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups including candidates with disabilities. Our Employment Equity Plan is available at: ufs-employment-equity-plan_2025.pdf

The University processes personal information in line with its obligations under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and any personal information provided to the University will be treated as confidential and processed in accordance with the rights provided to data subjects under POPIA.

The University reserves the right not to fill the post. The UFS will only consider applications of candidates who meet all the inherent requirements of the position. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. Communication will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. Should you not be contacted within six weeks of the closing date for applications, you may assume that your application was unsuccessful.