Jobs

– 2 PhD Positions in the ERC project “FAIRGAP” at Bielefeld University (contract duration 4 years)

We are seeking two research associates (75%, E 13 TV-L; m/f/d) to join our team on the project: “FAIRGAP: Wage Negotiations and Gender Pay Gaps: Exploring the Role of Fairness Attitudes in Europe” funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant. The project investigates the role of fairness attitudes and norms in wage negotiations as potential drivers of the gender pay gap in European comparison. To this end, we will collect survey data – including factorial survey experiments – to examine how fairness attitudes and norms shape gendered negotiation outcomes.

In line with the project’s two core topics, PhD projects may focus on either fairness attitudes or workplace negotiations. We strongly encourage collaboration across both strands. We are looking for applicants with experience in advanced statistical methods who are curious, motivated, and eager to learn. 

Starting date 1st of September,2026;

Application deadline: 26 June 2026
For information follow this link. 

– Junior Researcher (PhD candidate) position in the ERC project EDUMERIT, Tallinn University

The Institute of International Social Studies at Tallinn University invites applications for a Junior Researcher (PhD candidate) position in the ERC Starting Grant project EDUMERIT, led by Professor Triin Lauri (PI).

The project connects educational and political choices, combining interdisciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches, and requires strong statistical modelling skills. We’re looking for someone with a strong quantitative background who’s excited to develop their own PhD project within the EDUMERIT framework and join our international research team.

The successful candidate will work closely within an international research network and develop their PhD as part of an ambitious, high-impact research project.

Application open: 18 May 2026–29 June 2026
For more information, see here.
For inquiries or assistance, please contact triin.lauri@tlu.ee or kaire.poder@ebs.ee

– PhD or Postdoctoral Position in Sociology of Education at University of Bern

The position focuses on research on educational inequalities, family processes, and the intergenerational transmission of social inequality. Start date: 1 August 2026 (or no later than 1 October 2026)

Application deadline: 30 June 2026
For further information, see here.

– Senior Research Officer Sociology, Economic and Social Research Institute Dublin  

The ESRI is recruiting an experienced quantitative sociologist with a strong background in social stratification, educational inequality, social inclusion/ equality, or migrant integration research. The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary team working on policy-relevant research and will contribute to intellectual and project leadership. The position is tenure track, with a starting salary of €93,162 per annum (of which €7,298 is non-pensionable).

Candidates must have a PhD in Sociology, very strong quantitative skills, a record of securing research funding,  excellent communication skills and will typically have 8 years’ post-doctoral research experience.

Application deadline: 3 July 2026 5pm (Irish time)
Further details on the position and the institute are available on our website.

– Assistant Professor in Political Sociology / Electoral Studies at the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (Warsaw)

The Department of Studies of Elites and Political Institutions at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN) invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor position. The successful candidate is expected to conduct empirical research on political attitudes and behaviour, with a strong quantitative methods profile. 

Required: PhD in sociology or political science, documented quantitative research skills, proficiency in English, a reference letter from one senior academic.

Start date: 1 September 2026. 

Application deadline: 1 July 2026
For more information, visit the call page. Applications (including CV, application letter, copies of diplomas, and required statements) should be submitted to: politic@isppan.waw.pl (subject line: “Recruitment: Assistant Professor / Department of Studies of Elites and Political Institutions”).

– Assistant Professor (postdoc) in Sociology, non-tenure track at University of Klagenfurt 

The position is attached to the Professorship of General Sociology (Allgemeine Soziologie) in the Department of Society, Knowledge and Politics at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Klagenfurt (Austria). Further details are available in the official job advertisement.

Preferred starting date: 1 September 2026
Level of employment: 100% (40 hours/week)
Minimum salary: €70,200.20 per annum gross; classification according to collective agreement: B1 lit. b
Fixed-term: 6 years

Application deadline: 8 July 2026
For further information, see the official job advertisement

– Postdoctoral research position (100%) at ESPOL, Université Catholique de Lille

At the European School of Political and Social Sciences (ESPOL), Prof. Dr. Ilze Plavgo is offering a postdoctoral research position in within the UNEQUALCAREERS project. The project examines unequal career trajectories following the transition to parenthood, their impact on skill downgrading and income inequalities, and the ways in which family policy constellations shape and mitigate these dynamics.

Position: a post-doctoral research position (100%). Monthly gross salary €2,689. Duration 16 months.
Starting date: September 1, 2026.

Application deadline: 22 July 2026
More information and how to apply, see here.
Further information can be obtained by email from Professor Ilze Plavgo (ilze.plavgo@univ-catholille.fr).

– Postdoc in sociology of intergroup relations – University of Bern

The Institute of Sociology (IFS) at the University of Bern has a vacancy for a postdoc position with an employment rate of 80% starting January 1, 2027, or by arrangement. The postdoc’s main responsibilities will be to pursue research on intergroup relations, social networks, deviance, and related topics, and to contribute to research projects at the IFS and the department. Contributions to teaching activities in the Bachelor and Master curricula of the department are also expected. The salary ranges from CHF 91,000 to 108,000 depending on work experience (annual gross salary, excluding social security contributions by the employer, calculated on a full-time basis).

Application deadline: 11 August 2026
For further information, see the official job advertisement.

– Postdoc in digital demography – University of Bern

The Institute of Sociology (IFS) at the University of Bern has a vacancy for a postdoc position with an employment rate of 80% starting January 1, 2027, or by arrangement. The position is part of the Digital Society Lab initiative at the IFS. The postdoc’s main responsibilities will be to pursue research on the interrelations between demographic and digital transformations and to contribute to the development of a social science data platform together with a team of collaborators. Contributions to teaching activities in the Bachelor and Master curricula of the department are also expected. The salary ranges from CHF 91,000 to 108,000, depending on work experience (annual gross salary, excluding social security contributions by the employer, calculated on a full-time basis).

Application deadline: 11 August 2026
For further information, see the official job advertisement. 

– Director position at the WZB

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center seeks to establish a new research department and to fill the permanent full-time position of Director for the study of international relations, broadly understood, at the earliest possible date.

Application deadline: 20 September 2026
For more information see here.