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The University of Vienna is a community of almost 11,000 individuals, including approximately 7,700 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. Fueled by curiosity and a deep sense of duty, they contribute invaluable insights to research and teaching, enriching our society. Are you inspired and driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact? We are currently seeking a/an
University Assistant postdoctoral (Substitute position) Department of Communication
49 Faculty of Social Sciences
Job vacancy starting: 10/01/2026 | Working hours: 40,00 | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 lit. b (postdoc)
Limited contract until: 08/31/2028
Job ID: 5790
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Explore and teach at the University of Vienna, where over 7,500 brilliant minds have found a unique balance of freedom and support. Join us if you’re passionate about groundbreaking international research and academic excellence. Ready to be part of our team? Let’s shape the future together!
Your personal sphere of play
The Political Communication Research Group (polcom.univie.ac.at) at the Department of Communication, a subunit of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Vienna, studies the interaction between political elites, media, and citizens. Current research is focused on understanding how and under which conditions political elites communicate with citizens, what role media organizations and journalists play in the political communication process, how citizens process elite and journalistic communication, and what role digital technologies play in this process. Scholars in the group use a variety of qualitative and quantitative social research methods to develop and test theories that help understand the quality of political communication in democracies today. To extend the group’s research profile, we are looking for a motivated postdoc with a focus on political communication. The position is to be filled whilst a member of staff is absent.
The postdoc will work closely with Univ.-Prof. Sophie Lecheler and other scholars in the group. Subject-specific competencies in one or more of the following subject areas of the research group are of advantage: (1) AI and digital technologies in political communication, (2) diversity of voices in political communication, (3) the politics of science communication, (4) quality of political communication and political journalism.
The postdoc is expected to develop, conduct, and internationally present/publish research using a combination of relevant methods, such as experiments, panel surveys, big data and computational approaches. While a focus on quantitative research methods is desired, the postdoc should be interested in the integration of quantitative and qualitative data. Strong interest in open science approaches and development of ethical research standards is of advantage.
The postdoc is also expected to collaborate with members of the research group in acquiring third- party funding, and will participate in administrative tasks at the department. Moreover, the position involves independent teaching of political communication and/or methods courses as defined by the collective agreement within the teaching program of Communication Science.
Your future tasks:
Active participation in research, teaching & administration, which means:
You build up an independent research profile in the field of Political Communication.
You are involved in research projects and scientific studies in the area of Communication Science.
You publish in international, high-ranking journals.
You present your research at national and international conferences, meetings, and symposia.
You actively engage in applying for third-party funded projects.
You hold courses independently within the scope of the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
You participate in evaluation measures and in quality assurance.
You supervise students and participate in examination activities within the Bachelor and Master programs Journalism and Communication Studies.
You take on administrative tasks in research, teaching and administration.
This is part of your personality:
Doctoral degree/PhD in Communication Science or related discipline such as Political Science or Sociology.
Knowledge of Political Communication research, with a focus on one or more of the subject areas specified above.
Your aim is to publish your research in high-impact international journals and present it at national and international conferences.
Experience of working on empirical research projects
In-depth knowledge of quantitative research methods, e.g., survey, experimental designs, content analysis, computational approaches / computational communication science.
Very good knowledge of statistical data analysis (using, e. g., R, Stata, SPSS) and/or programming skills (using, e. g., Python)
Experience in university, research oriented teaching
Excellent German and English skills both written and spoken
Ability to work in teams
What we offer:
Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours, remote/hybrid (up to 50%, upon agreement).
Inspiring working atmosphere: You are part of an international academic team with excellent research facilities in a relaxing working environment.
Good public transport connections: Your new workplace in the center of beautiful Vienna 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.
Fixed-term contract and fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 5,014,30 (14 times a year) for a period of 23 months increases if we can credit professional experience.
Equal opportunities for everyone: We look forward to diverse personalities in the team!
It is that easy to apply:
With your scientific résumé
With a letter of intent
With your list of publications
With your summary of research interests (max. 1 p.)
Please state names and contact details of two referees we could contact
Via our job portal/ Apply now - button
If you have any questions, please contact:
Sophie Lecheler
[email protected]
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: 07/05/2026
