Postdoc in computational social science

Overview

Institute of Sociology, University of Bern

Start of employment: 01.04.2026 or by agreement.

Employment is fixed term and limited to four years

The Institute of Sociology (IFS) at the University of Bern has a vacancy for a postdoc position with an employment rate of 80% starting April 1 or by arrangement. The position is part of the Digital Society Lab initiative at the IFS. The postdoc's main responsibilities will be to support the organizational, research, and teaching activities of the lab as well as to pursue their own research agenda.

The IFS was founded in 1960, making it the first institute of sociology in German-speaking Switzerland. The IFS is part of the Department of Social Sciences (consisting of Sociology, Political Science and Communication Science) at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences. The IFS is collectively managed and unites a dynamic team of researchers with expertise in, among others, social stratification research, sociological theory, environmental, organizational and economic sociology, methods of empirical social research, and computational social science.

• Collaboration on research projects of the Digital Society Lab
• Collaboration on BA and MA courses in the department
• Development of the lab's organizational structure
• Further development of own research agenda
• Participation in academic activities of the IFS and the department

• Relevant qualifications in computational social science
• Experience in programming online applications (e.g., experiments, surveys)
• Interest in answering social scientific questions
• PhD in sociology or related discipline
• Proficiency in spoken and written English; sound knowledge of German is a plus
• Experience with writing third-party funding applications is a plus

• Research activities on current and socially relevant topics
• Room to develop own research and teaching projects
• Individual mentoring by senior academic staff members
• Embedding in a friendly and cooperative team at the department
• Excellent working conditions at the University of Bern
• The salary ranges (CHF 91,000 to 107,000) are annual gross salaries, excluding social security contributions by the employer, calculated on a full-time basis.

The University of Bern is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all individuals who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution.