Jobs

– Professorship in Sociology University of Zurich

The Department of Sociology, the University of Zurich, and Zurich as a center of higher education offer a stimulating research and teaching environment with a wide range of opportunities for academic exchange and cooperation.

The future holder of this position is expected to have conducted excellent, internationally visible research in the field of quantitative sociological methods and sociological methodology, with an additional specialization in a substantive research area within sociology.

Application deadline: 25 February 2026
For further information see here.

– Vacancy for a PhD student on inter-minority relations at Utrecht University

We are seeking a PhD candidate (48 months, starting 1 September 2026) to contribute to the ERC Consolidator Grant project INTER-MIN awarded to dr. Borja Martinovic. The project investigates inter-minority relations across Western Europe, combining large-scale representative data collection, advanced quantitative analyses, and focus group discussions to better understand patterns of cooperation, tension, and distance between minority groups.
The successful candidate will work within the European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER) at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, and will also be embedded in the Dutch graduate school ICS, which provides small-group training, mentoring, and career development opportunities.

We are looking for candidates with:

• A (Research) Master’s degree in sociology, social/political psychology, or a related field and strong quantitative skills
• Advantageous: experience with survey design, data collection, qualitative methods, and/or theoretical expertise in intergroup relations, group identities, or perceived discrimination

Application deadline: 8 March 2026
For more information, see the ICS website (project 8).
Interested candidates can contact dr. Borja Martinovic (b.martinovic@uu.nl).

– Doctoral Scholarship in the Key Research Initiative Demography & Social Inequality (three years, starting October 01, 2026) at the University of Cologne

The Cologne Graduate School in Management, Economics and Social Sciences (CGS) at the University of Cologne offers a three-year doctoral scholarship to outstanding students holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Social Sciences. Applicants with research interests in ethnic diversity, crime and delinquency, or social networks are especially encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: 15 March 2026.
For details see here.

– 2 vacancies for PhD students on social inequalities at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research (LIVES), University of Lausanne

We invite applications for two positions as PhD students at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research LIVES at the University of Lausanne. The PhD students will contribute to the project “The Social Stratification of Time: Investigating Inequalities in Time Use through a Swiss Diary Study”, which will collect time use data in Switzerland. The first position focuses on the social stratification of time use. The second position focuses on social class differences in the amount, type, and timing of resources invested into children. Both positions start on September 1.

Application deadline: 18 March 2026

– Hiring 14 PhD students in ageing and digitalizing societies

The project “Future Leaders in Ageing and Digitalizing Societies (Digi4Age)” is now hiring 14 PhD students for universities across Europe. Population ageing and rapid digitalization are reshaping society, yet they are often treated as separate challenges. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Digi4Age project sees them as interconnected. By training doctoral researchers, Digi4Age is building a new generation of leaders equipped to design inclusive, tech-driven solutions for ageing societies. Its programme explores how digital tools can support health, preserve identity, adapt to lifelong habits, and promote social inclusion. Drawing on expertise from top universities and civil society actors across nine countries, Digi4Age addresses key UN goals (health, equality, and decent work), while aligning with Europe’s Digital and Healthy Ageing Decades.

Application deadline: 30 March 2026  
Have a look at the project homepage to learn more about the vacancies and on how to apply. 

– 3-year Postdoctoral Researcher – ERC Project FIRMS: How Firms Shape Career Inequality Through (Mental) Health, University of Amsterdam

The Department of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the ERC-funded project FIRMS – Firms and Careers: How the Workplace Structures Career Inequality, led by Thijs Bol (PI). The postdoc will study how organizational contexts shape workers’ mental health, and how these effects translate into long-term career inequality. Empirically, the project draws on rich longitudinal linked employer–employee data combined with population-wide health registers from the Netherlands and Norway.

The position is a 3-year postdoc starting 1 September 2026. We are looking for candidates with a PhD on a relevant topic (stratification, labor, health) in sociology, economics, or a related field, and extensive experience in quantitative analysis of longitudinal or administrative data.

Application deadline: 30 March 2026
For more information and to apply, see here.
Questions about the position can be directed to Thijs Bol (t.bol@uva.nl).

– PhD and Postdoc position at the Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) at the Sciences Po, Paris

The Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) at the Sciences Po, Paris, is seeking to appoint a doctoral researcher/PhD candidate and postdoctoral researcher to join the research team led by Prof. Bastian Betthaeuser working on the ERC-funded project “Understanding the Consequences of Major Health Crises for Education: Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic (LEARN). For further information, please see the job advertisements for the PhD position and the Postdoc position.

Application deadline: 12 April 2026

– Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology at Swedish Institute for Social Research

The postdoctoral position is attached to the Swedish Institute for Social Research’s Social Policy unit. Members of the unit study the causes and consequences of social policies at both individual and societal levels. Research is conducted using macro- as well as micro-level approaches, primarily with quantitative data. Macro analyses examine social policy development within and across countries, while micro analyses focus on the impact of social policies on individuals’ living conditions and life courses. The institute hosts the leading source of comparative longitudinal social policy data: the Social Policy Indicators Database (SPIN). In addition, the unit’s researchers use a wide range of data such as administrative registers and international surveys.

The postdoctor is expected to work individually as well as together with others in projects linked to the topical foci at the unit. An initial outline of research questions is to be included in the application in the form of a research plan. The plan will be important for assessing the extent to which the proposed research will strengthen, complement and/or argument the ongoing research performed in the unit.

Application deadline: 13 April 2026
For more information, please visit.