The University of Vienna is a community of over 10,000 individuals, including approximately 7,500 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. They represent individuals driven by curiosity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With us, they find the space to try things out and unfold their potential. Are you inspired by their passion and determination? We are currently seeking a/an

University assistant predoctoral 

50 Faculty of Life Sciences  

Job vacancy starting: 01/01/2026 | Working hours:  30,00  | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) 

Limited contract until: 

Job ID: 4832

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:

As a University Assistant (predoc), you will join and complement the research team led by Prof. Simakov, contributing to the research on symbiotic organ evolution in the bobtail squid lineages. Our research focuses primarily on comparative genomics and the study of genome topology and regulatory genomic evolution.
The  international team currently consists of several postdocs and predocs, as well as technical support and Master/Bachelor students.

Your future tasks:

You will actively contribute to research, teaching, and administrative tasks, which includes:

• Participating in research projects and scientific studies in the field of genomics, evolution of symbiotic systems using bobtail squids as a model organisms.
• Completing your doctoral thesis agreement within 12 to 18 months.
• Working on and completing your dissertation.
• Independently teaching courses in accordance with the collective agreement regulations.
• Taking on administrative responsibilities related to research and teaching.

This is part of your personality:

Must-haves:

• Master's degree in Biology or a related field
• Initial experience in scientific writing and research methods
• IT skills (e.g. Linux, Python)
• Excellent English skills (C1)
• You are a team player with strong social and communication skills

Nice to have:

• • Experience working with symbiotic systems
  • Previous work with cephalopods 
  • Teaching skills / Experience in e-learning
  • Knowledge of an additional foreign language (specify level if applicable)

What we offer:

Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment, and will also be integrated into the Cluster of Excellence Neural Circuits in Health and Disease.

Good public transport connections: Your workplace is easily accessible by public transport.

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

Duration of contract: The contract duration is 3 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to 3 years if the employer does not issue a non-renewal declaration within the first 12 months. If the work progresses accordingly, an extension to a maximum of 4 years is possible.

It is that easy to apply:

• With your academic CV and brief letter of intent
• Proof of completed Master’s or Diploma degree
• Via our job portal / Apply Now button

If you have any questions, please contact:

Oleg Simakov  

oleg.simakov@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.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

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​Application deadline: 11/15/2025