University assistant

Political sciences » Science and society Sociology » Other Organisation/Company Universität Wien Research Field Political sciences » Science and society Sociology » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 28 Oct 2026
- 00:00 (UTC) Country Austria Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Part-time Hours Per Week 30 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description 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 University assistant (predoctoral) at the Department of Political Science 49 Faculty of Social Sciences Startdate: 01.12.2026 |

Working hours
30 | Collective bargaining agreement: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) Limited until: 28.02.2027 Reference no.: 6327 This position is a research leave replacement, and it is vacant for the duration and to the extent of the position holder’s absence. Your future position is at the Department of Political Science in the research area of Comparative Policy Analysis. The Department of Political Science, a subunit of the Faculty of Social Sciences, addresses all major fields of political science. It is dedicated to innovative and problem-oriented research and provides students with a wide range of specialisations. Members of the Department study the transformation of governance, statehood and democracy across different policy areas, geographical regions and political areas. You will join the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), led by Professor Barbara Prainsack. This research group investigates how solidarity shapes social justice, institutional design, and policy interventions across a range of domains, using rigorous qualitative and theoretically grounded approaches. The Centre brings together pre
- and post-doctoral researchers and fellows from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Your work will contribute to the Centre’s wider research on solidarity, policy, and institutional design. Participation in research and administration in the field of comparative policy analysis and qualitative methods as well as in the research group CeSCoS ("Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity'', led by Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Barbara Prainsack). This involves, in particular, the participation in the organisation of events, seminars, and other formats of academic collaboration and exchange:
- Support with research projects and grant applications
- Participation in publications / academic articles / presentations
- Participation in the organisation of meetings, conferences, symposia
- Participation in the department administration as well as in teaching and research administration This is what you will bring:
- Master's (or equivalent) degree in the field of political science or a similar social science discipline relevant to comparative policy analysis
- Willingness to align an existing or emerging doctoral research project with a focus on comparative policy analysis and practices of solidarity
- Good knowledge of qualitative methods and basic knowledge of quantitative methods; experience with text coding, and familiarity with AI tools for research will be an advantage
- Didactic competence
- Excellent command of English as a working language, other languages are an advantage
- Ability to work in a team
- Familiarity with scholarship on solidarity
- Experience of working with e-learning
- Knowledge of university processes and structures
- International experience, including work in diplomacy, public institutions, or international organisations
- Basic experience in academic research Additional Information

What we offer
- 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.
- 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 3.776,10 (on a full-time basis) increases if we can credit professional experience.
- Get off to a great start in your new job: the Welcome Compass helps you settle into your new role at the University of Vienna and life in Vienna.
- Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every additional/new personality to the team