Project staff member (Teaching and Research Assistant)

Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien; Wien; On-site; EUR 7,300 - 8,400; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Six weeks of vacation/Extra vacation

Flexible working hours

Training opportunities

Meal allowance

Employee discounts

Job summary

Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien invites applications for a Research Assistant (10 hours/week) at the Institute for Sociology and Social Research in Vienna. You will assist a project on a socio-technical framework for online drug markets, conducting literature searches, interviews, data processing and contributing to publications.

The role supports interdisciplinary research with flexible hours and the potential to shape your Master’s thesis within the project scope.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a Master’s program at WU Vienna with strong academic record.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related social science field is required.
• Strong interest in academic work and research methods.
• Proficiency in German and English for academic communication.
• Familiar with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods; data tools welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Support ongoing research activities: literature searches, transcription, data collection and analysis.
• Assist in preparing academic publications, reports and funding applications.
• Present research progress and contribute ideas for Master’s thesis within project scope.
• Coordinate project activities and support events and outreach.
• Collaborate with team members and partner researchers.

Skills

German language

English language

R

Python

Stata

SPSS

NVivo

MAXQDA

Education

Master's student at WU Vienna

Bachelor's degree in social science

Tools

R

Python

Stata

SPSS

NVivo

MAXQDA

Job description

You want to understand how things are connected and make a fundamental impact? We offer an environment where you can realize your full potential. At one of Europe’s largest and most modern business and economics universities. On a campus where quality of work is also quality of life.

Institute for Sociology and Social Research

Part-time, 10 hours/week

Starting November 01, 2026, and limited until June 30, 2029

Please note that pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, only students who have not yet completed a master or diploma degree program can be employed. Qualified candidates with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply for this position. If necessary, a reduction of the extent of employment is possible.

Would you like to work in an internationally oriented research environment at the intersection of economic sociology, digital sociology and criminology?

As a Research Assistant (10 hours/week) at the Institute for Sociology and Social Research at WU Vienna, you will contribute to the research project A Socio-Technical Framework for Online Drug Markets, led by Dr. Meropi Tzanetakis. The project investigates how illicit drug markets are socially organised and how their organisation is changing through digitalisation. We understand markets not simply as mechanisms of supply and demand, but as socially embedded institutional arrangements in which actors coordinate exchange, establish trust, evaluate goods and manage uncertainty. The project examines how digital infrastructures, organisational arrangements and social practices interact to shape market coordination and governance. Rather than treating digital technologies as external tools that merely facilitate exchange, the research asks how platforms, algorithms, data and other infrastructures become part of the organisation of markets themselves. Empirically, the project examines the changing organisation of illicit drug markets across online, offline and hybrid environments, with attention to their socioeconomic, technological, political, cultural and gendered embeddedness. If you are interested in the social organisation of markets, digital transformation and interdisciplinary research on contemporary economic and societal processes, we look forward to receiving your application.

More information about the project and research group: meropitzanetakis.com/research-group.html

What to expect

• Research support: You will contribute to the project’s ongoing research activities, including conducting literature searches, transcribing interviews, collecting, processing and analysing data, and supporting the preparation of academic publications, research reports, and funding applications. You will also present information on research progress and have the opportunity to develop ideas for your Master’s thesis within the thematic scope of the project.
• Organisational and administrative support: You will assist with organisational and public-relations tasks, contribute to the coordination of project activities, and support the organisation of academic and outreach events.
• Communication and dissemination: You will help design and implement communication activities related to the research project, contribute to presenting research findings to academic and professional audiences, and support the communication of data and results in accessible and engaging ways.
• Networking and collaboration: You will collaborate with research group members, project partners and assist in coordinating research activities.
• Teamwork and participation: You will work closely with colleagues to contribute to joint decisions and the production of high-quality research. Active participation in team meetings, workshops, and other events within the research group and wider academic community will be an integral part of your role.

What you have to offer

• You are currently enrolled in a Master’s program at WU Vienna, preferably in Socioeconomics / SEEP / WUPOL. You hold a bachelor’s degree in a related social science field and are at the beginning of your master’s studies at WU or an advanced bachelor student intending to start a Master’s at WU.
• You have demonstrated strong academic performance and a keen interest for academic work in curricular as well as extracurricular activities and achievements.
• You possess very good skills in both German and English (written and spoken) for academic communication.
• You are familiar with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, and ideally have prior experience with data analysis tools such as R, Python, Stata, SPSS and/or NVivo, MAXQDA etc.
• You are flexible, reliable, organised and conscientious, with a strong sense of responsibility for completing assigned research tasks accurately and on time.
• You have good communication and collaboration skills and enjoy working as part of an interdisciplinary research team.
• Previous experience in academic research and/or university-level teaching is an advantage.

What we offer you

• Six weeks of vacation/Extra vacation time
• Flexible working hours
• Training opportunities
• A wide range of benefits, from an in-house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts
• Meaningful work in an open-minded, inclusive, and family-friendly environment
• A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna
• Inspiring campus lifewith over 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and approximately 21,500 students
• Excellent accessibility by public transportation

The monthly gross salary amounts to €689.80.

WU is committed to diversity and inclusion and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from women. In case of equal qualification, female candidates will be given preference. Applicants with disabilities will be supported throughout each stage of the recruitment process. Candidates' qualifications will be assessed in the context of their academic age.