Jobs

– MSCA Doctoral Position on Balancing Individual AI-Augmentation with Organisational Stability 100 % at the Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich

The Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich looks back on more than 60 years of active research and teaching. It is one of the leading empirically oriented institutes in Switzerland and Europe. The basic understanding is based on theory-driven empirical social research with a strong focus on quantitative methods.

EMANAIRE is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network bringing together 15 doctoral candidates at nine European universities to study how AI is changing work. Its projects examine what happens when generative and agentic AI enters leadership, everyday workflows, team communication, professional learning and career decisions.

Application deadline: 10 October 2026, 11:59 pm CET
For more information and online application, see here.

– Position of Director at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy

The Max Planck Society invites nominations, including self-nominations, for Director Positions at our Institute. Directors are expected to conduct innovative research, either in the field of social policy or of social law, and to lead a research department at the Institute.

Application deadline: 15 October 2026
See more information here.

– W3 Professorship in Computational Social Science (m/f/x) at Saarland University

We are looking for a researcher with excellent international standing in computational social science and a strong record of working with novel digital data sources applied to societally relevant questions. Your expertise should include computational methods such as network analysis, automated text analysis, the analysis of large-scale digital behavioural data and Al-based modelling. You should be open to a formal affiliation with the Department of Computer Science. You will have an established international research network, an excellent record of high-impact publication and of third-party funding, including grants secured and applications submitted. You should also be prepared to take on principal investigator roles in coordinated funding initiatives such as Collaborative Research Centres. A willingness to teach in English is expected, as is the willingness to teach in German in the medium term.

Application deadline: 15 October 2026
Link to call for application here.

– W2 Professorship (W3 tenure track, m/f/x) in Political, Social or Communication Science at Saarland University

We are looking for a researcher with excellent academic standing in political science, sociology and/or communication science, with an empirical and quantitative focus, and a strong record of working with novel digital data sources to address societally relevant questions. You should also be open to formal affiliation with the Department of Computer Science. You will have an established international research network and an excellent track record of relevant publication and of third-party funding, including grants awarded, applications submitted or applications being prepared. A willingness to teach in English is expected, as is the willingness to teach in German in the medium term. The tenure evaluation follows the criteria of the university’s tenure-track regulations.

Application deadline: 15 October 2026
Link to call for application here.

– Max Weber Programme for junior post-docs at the European University Institute (EUI)

The Max Weber Programme (MWP) at the European University Institute (EUI) is a unique postdoctoral programme in the historical, humanities and social sciences. It is open to applicants who are within 5 years from the completion of their PhD, from anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality. The Programme awards 1- and 2-year fellowships according to the hosting academic units.

Application deadline: 16 October 2026 14:00 CEST
See more information here.

– Call for Applications for CIDER V, fellowship programme for early-career researchers

The Call for Applications for CIDER V is now open. We invite applications from excellent early-career postdoctoral researchers in economics, education science, psychology, and sociology who are interested in interdisciplinary educational research, international networking, career development, and enhancing their science communication skills.

The fifth CIDER cohort (2027-2029) is supported by the Wübben Stiftung Bildung, the Leibniz Education Research Network (LERN) with additional funding provided by twelve participating LERN institutes.

Application deadline 18 October 2026.
Find out more about the fellowship, eligibility criteria, and the application process here.

– Research Fellow (m/f/d) in the Field of Microsociology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Faculty of Culture, Social Sciences and Education – Institute of Social Sciences is looking for a Research Fellow (m/f/d) in the Field of Microsociology with 2/3 part-time employment – max. limited to 6 years according to WissZeitVG – E 13 TV-L HU.

Responsibilities: scientific service in research and teaching in the field of sociology or demography, teaching and coordination tasks within the framework of the BA and MA programs in Social Sciences (including support of exams), tasks for personal scientific qualification (doctorate)

Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
See more information here.
Further questions about the job posting or the scope of duties can be directed to Gabi Sonnenberg gabi.sonnenberg@sowi.hu-berlin.de.

– Postdoctoral Researcher in Sociology / Health Inequalities at University of Bamberg

The Junior Professorship of Sociology, esp. Work & Health, at the University of Bamberg invites applications for a five-year Postdoctoral Researcher position (100%, E13 TV-L) within the ERC Starting Grant project FIELDS – Fields of Education as New Drivers of Health Inequalities, starting on 1 January 2027.

FIELDS investigates how university majors and vocational training programmes contribute to health inequalities across the life course. The postdoc will work with six major international household panel studies and take a leading role in data harmonisation and longitudinal cross-country analyses. We particularly welcome applicants with strong quantitative skills, experience with longitudinal or panel data, and research interests in social stratification, education, or health inequalities. German language skills are an advantage but not required.

Application deadline: 30 October 2026.
Further information and application details here.

– Doctoral researcher position at University of Mannheim

Join an international research team studying migration and integration, social inequalities, education, the labour market and demography. The Chair of comparative sociology at the University of Mannheim is seeking a doctoral researcher for 3 years (pay grade 13 TV-L, 75%, starting date: 01.02.2027).  
You can find the full job posting at the link (see Research staff member in the field of sociology (PhD candidate) (m/f/d)):

Application deadline: 31 October 2026
For further information, please contact Prof. Irena Kogan (gesellschaftsvergleich@uni-mannheim.de).

– ISI Junior Research Group Leader in Wealth Inequality Research at LMU Munich

The Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research (ISI) at LMU Munich is seeking a Junior Research Group Leader in Wealth Inequality Research.

We welcome applications from scholars in sociology, economics, or related fields whose research focuses on wealth inequality. The successful candidate will develop an independent research agenda within ISI’s interdisciplinary and international research environment.

Application deadline: 15 November 2026
Further information is available here.

– Postdoctoral Research Position at Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

The Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences is hiring a postdoctoral researcher to conduct research on social and political polarization and related attitudes and behaviors using panel data. It is a full-time position for 18 months, from 1 January 2027 to 30 June 2028. 

Application deadline: 15 November 2026
Further information is available here.

– PhD position in the ERC LEARN Project at 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 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).

Application deadline: 3 December 2026
For further information, please see the job advertisement.

– Postdoctoral Researcher in the ERC LEARN Project at Sciences Po, Paris 

The Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) at the Sciences Po, Paris, is seeking to appoint a 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).

Application deadline: 3 December 2026
For further information, please see the job advertisement.