Research Assistant - Pre-doctoral Fellow (m/f/d) - 30 hours per week

Sigmund Freud PrivatUniversität; Wien; Hybrid; EUR 19.000 - 32.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Family-friendly environment

Flexible hours

Professional development

Pharmacy discounts

Dental clinic

On-site counseling

Free vaccinations

Public transport pass

Zusammenfassung

The Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna invites applications for a research assistant (pre-doc) to join the longitudinal study on maternal singing and co-regulation in infancy. Based in Vienna, you will conduct behavioral observation, physiological measures, coding, and follow-up assessments, with supervision by project leaders and collaboration with Heidelberg.

The contract is limited to 3 years (75% FTE, 30 hours/week) with a gross monthly salary of €2,832.10; starting November 2026 and

Qualifikationen

• Master’s or Diplom in psychology, psychotherapy, or related field
• Interest in early socio-emotional development and attachment
• Experience with behavioral observation and video coding (ELAN, Datavyu)
• Knowledge of statistical analysis (R) and willingness to learn time-series methods
• Very good German language skills for testing German-speaking families; good English skills

Aufgaben

• Plan, prepare, and independently conduct a study with 4- to 6-month-old infants and mothers (behavioral observation, ECG, accelerometry, video recording)
• Conduct the 12-month follow-up assessments (e.g., Strange Situation Test, Bayley Scales, IBQ-R, MacArthur-Bates)
• Recruit, schedule appointments, and provide long-term participation support
• Develop coding schemes and maintain inter-rater reliability
• Analyze dyadic coordination using R and/or MATLAB
• Pre-register the study and publish results in international journals
• Collaborate with Heidelberg project team and exchange analyses
• Supervise student researchers and supervise theses/internships

Kenntnisse

Behavioral observation

Video coding

R statistical analysis

Time-series methods

German language

English language

Teamwork

Ausbildung

Master’s degree or Diplom in psychology

Tools

ELAN

Datavyu

MATLAB

Jobbeschreibung

The Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU) is Austria’s largest state-recognized private university, with its headquarters in Vienna and additional campuses in Berlin, Linz, Ljubljana, Milan, and Paris.

As an internationally oriented university, the SFU combines scholarship, research, and practice at the highest level. In addition to its established degree programs in psychotherapy science, psychology, and law, the SFU also offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in human medicine and dentistry.

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Science at the Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna is seeking a research assistant (pre-doc) to join the research project “Singing and Rhythmic Movement in Early Development” (project leader: Dr. Gabriela Markova) starting in November 2026. The project is funded by the FWF as part of the WEAVE program in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg (Dr. Trinh Nguyen, DFG) and investigates how maternal singing and rhythmic movement support co-regulation between the caregiver and the infant, the development of attachment, and the emerging self-regulation of infants. At the Vienna site, a longitudinal study of multimodal rhythms will be conducted, with data collection at 4–6 months of age and a follow-up assessment at 12 months.

This position offers the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D . and involves conducting a longitudinal study on co-regulation.

Your responsibilities:

• Planning, preparing, and independently conducting a study with 4- to 6-month-old infants and their mothers (behavioral observation, ECG, accelerometry, multi-camera video recording)
• Conducting the follow-up assessment at 12 months of age, including the Strange Situation Test, Bayley Scales, IBQ-R, and MacArthur-Bates Parent Questionnaire
• Recruiting, scheduling appointments, and providing long-term support to participating families across both assessment time points
• Development of coding schemes and microanalytic behavioral coding (gaze, affect, vocalizations, touch) and ensuring inter-rater reliability
• Analysis of dyadic coordination (including cross-recurrence quantification analyses, bivariate autoregressive models, and mixed models) using R and/or MATLAB
• Pre-registration of the study, publication of the results in international journals, and presentation at conferences
• Close coordination with the Heidelberg project team, including joint analyses and reciprocal research visits
• Supervision of student research assistants and co-supervision of theses and internships

Your Profile:

• Excellent university degree (Master’s or Diplom) in psychology, psychotherapy, educational sciences, cognitive sciences, or a related field
• Strong interest in early socio-emotional development, attachment, and interpersonal synchrony
• Experience with behavioral observation and video coding (e.g., ELAN, Datavyu); experience with longitudinal studies, attachment-based procedures, or psychophysiological methods is a plus
• Knowledge of statistical analysis (R) and a willingness to learn time-series and synchrony methods
• Very good German language skills for testing German-speaking families, as well as good written and spoken English skills
• Enjoyment of working with infants and their families, attention to detail, initiative, and the ability to work well in a team

We offer:

• A structured doctoral program within an internationally recognized, longitudinal research project
• Intensive supervision by both project leaders as well as cross-site training in EEG, mTRF, behavioral coding, and attachment-based methods
• Funded participation in international conferences and integration into a broad national and international network of collaborators
• A family-friendly work environment with flexible working hours
• An inspiring work environment at a humanistic, international private university in the lush Prater
• Flat hierarchies and plenty of creative freedom
• Opportunities for professional development within a growing organization offering a wide range of continuing education programs
• Attractive benefits package with perks such as pharmacy discounts, dental clinic, on-site psychological counseling, free vaccinations, and a Wiener Linien annual pass

The employment contract is limited to 3 years.

Employment and compensation are based on the FWF’s personnel cost rates for doctoral students (75%, 30 hours per week). For this FWF doctoral student position, we offer a gross monthly salary of €2,832.10 for 30 hours per week.

Application deadline: September 30, 2026