At the University of Vienna almost 11,000 personalities work together towards answering the big questions of the future. Around 7,700  of them do research and teaching, around 3,000 work in administration and organisation. We are looking for a/an

Senior Scientist - Research Network Democracy and Human Rights 

 49 Faculty of Social Sciences 

Job vacancy starting: 03/01/2026 | Working hours: 40,00  | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 lit. b (postdoc) 

Limited contract until: 02/28/2030

Job ID: 5169

We are looking for a Senior Scientist to develop, establish, and organize the research network “Democracy and Human Rights”, an interdisciplinary initiative at the University of Vienna that brings together, highlights and promotes excellent and socially relevant research in this area.

Your personal sphere of influence:

The Senior Scientist will participate in the development, establishment, and organization of one of the largest research networks on issues of democracy and human rights in Austria. Formally, the position is based at the Department of Governement, a subunit of the Faculty of Social Sciences, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kritzinger.

Your future tasks:

The Senior Scientist is expected to organize and communicate the activities of the research network in consultation with the co-directors of the research network (Sylvia Kritzinger and Michael Lysander Fremuth), the members of the steering committee of the research network, and another Senior Scientist.

This includes:

• Dealing with issues of democracy and human rights from a social science perspective (including the collection and analysis of quantitative empirical social science data)
• Strategic planning
• Accompanying administrative tasks
• Networking among the researchers of the research network
• Planning and implementation of conferences, workshops, and other events
• Communicating relevant activities, including knowledge exchange (“third mission”) with the public sector and the general public

Conducting your own research on topics related to the research network, especially in the context of running third-party funded projects, is possible as long as it is compatible with the primary interests of the research network. 

This is part of your personality: 

• You have a PhD in political science or a related discipline (e.g., sociology, communication studies);
• Your research interests lie in the field of democracy and human rights, ideally in one of the following key research areas: political representation, political behavior, party competition, political institutions;
• You have very good knowledge of quantitative empirical methods in the social sciences, both in terms of data collection and data analysis;
• You are highly intrinsically motivated to contribute to current challenges in the field of democracy and human rights;
• You are interested in a career in research administration and would like to be involved in setting up and organizing an interdisciplinary research initiative;
• You already have experience in planning, organizing, and moderating events (e.g., workshops, panel discussions, conferences);
• You present your research results at international conferences;
• You publish your research results in international journals;
• You teach independently in accordance with the provisions of the university's collective agreement;
• You are cooperative, team-oriented, reliable, and responsible;
• You have very good written and oral communication skills in German and English.

What we offer:

• We offer you the opportunity to participate in an inspiring research environment that brings together notable experts in the field (networking)
• You can make a meaningful contribution in a socially relevant area (“pioneering work”)
• You will work in a team of dedicated colleagues at one of the world's most renowned universities, which is also family-friendly
• Your salary is 5.014,30 euros (full-time basis) and you can also work from home by arrangement

It is that easy to apply:

• Cover letter
• Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages), including an explanation of how your interests, skills, and experience match the requirements profile
• Curriculum vitae
• Certificate of completion of your doctoral and master's degrees
• A sample of your most important scientific publication
• Up to two references
• Via our job portal/ Apply now -  button

If you have any content questions, please contact:

Sylvia Kritzinger

sylvia.kritzinger@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! 
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We place particular emphasis on enhancing women’s representation among the academic and general university staff, particularly in leadership roles, and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

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Application deadline: 02/02/2026