At the University of Vienna, over 10,000 people work together on the big questions of the future. Approximately 7,500 of them are academic staff members. These are individuals who, with their curiosity and their continuous pursuit of excellence, engage in international cutting-edge research and teaching. With us, you will also find space to unfold your potential. We are looking for a/an 

University assistant predoctoral 

40 Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies  

Job vacancy starting: 10/01/2025 (MM-DD-YYYY) | Working hours:  30,00  | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) 

Limited contract until: 

Job ID: 4164

Explore and teach at the University of Vienna, where more than 7,500 academics thrive on curiosity in continuous exploration and help us better understand our world. Does this sound like you? Then join our accomplished team!

Your personal sphere of influence:

The position is assigned to the Institute of Ancient History, Papyrology and Epigraphy at the University of Vienna. We research and teach the history of the ancient Mediterranean region and its cultural and geographical interfaces with neighboring and subsequent ethnic groups and societies, from the beginning of written records up to and including Late Antiquity.

Our Institute, integrated into the context of the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies, is characterized by a high degree of disciplinary and methodological diversity, as well as internationality. A particular focus in research and teaching is the use of primary sources (ancient literature, inscriptions, papyri, and coins).

The advertised position as a University Assistant (Predoc) is aimed at ancient historians with a focus on documentary papyrology.

Your responsibilities will include independent research in the field of historical papyrology and the writing of a dissertation in this field, as well as teaching ancient history and papyrology, and involvement in the academic administration of the Institute and its activities.

Your future tasks:

– You actively participate in research, teaching & administration in the field of ancient history and documentary papyrology
– Development of an independent research profile within the framework of the dissertation project
– You work on your dissertation and its completion. We expect you to finalize your dissertation prospectus within 12–18 months
– You teach courses independently within the scope of the provisions of your University contract (1 course per semester from the 2nd year of employment onwards)
– International publications and conference presentations
– Supervision of students
– You take on administrative tasks at the Institute

This is part of your personality:

– Completed Master's degree in the field of ancient history, papyrology or a related subject of ancient studies
– Excellent competence in papyrology
– Excellent command of Latin and Ancient Greek
– Very good command of written and spoken English, and at least reading ability in other modern foreign languages relevant to the study of antiquity
– If German is not your native language: Proof of German language skills at level C1 or declaration of willingness to acquire the relevant language skills during the period of employment

Advantageous when applying:

– Enthusiasm for the subject
– Experience in the field of documentary papyrology, ideally an interest in historical topics related to documentary sources
– You should be a team player with high social and communicative skills

What we offer:

The contract term upon employment is four years. Initially limited to one and a half years, the employment will be automatically extended to four years if the employer does not submit a declaration of non-renewal within the first 12 months.

Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours and can partially work remotely. 

Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.

Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.

Fair salary: The basic gross salary of EUR 3,714,80 (on a full-time basis) increases if we can credit professional experience.

Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every additional/new personality to the team!

It is that easy to apply:

– With your scholarly curriculum vitae
– With your summary of research interests (max. 1 page) and a prospective doctoral project proposal (max. 4 pages)
– With a subject-relevant writing sample selected from your previous work (min. 8, max. 12 pages)
– Proof of Master's Degree 
– Via our job portal / Apply now - button

If you have any questions, please contact:

Bernhard Palme  

bernhard.palme@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 lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

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​Application deadline: 08/22/2025