Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Communication at the University of Zurich (3+1 years)

University of Zurich; Lampertheim; Vor Ort; EUR 60.000 - 80.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

The University of Zurich is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Communication for a 3+1 year position in Lampertheim. This role involves leading research on the influence of political social media influencers using computational methods. Candidates should have a doctoral degree in communication science or a related field and experience in computational text analysis. This position offers a competitive salary and opportunities for professional development in a supportive research environment.

Leistungen

Funding for conferences, training, and research activities

Supportive, research-oriented team

Attractive work environment in Zurich

Qualifikationen

• Very good doctoral degree or close to completion in communication science or political science.
• Experience with computational text analysis methods and strong programming skills in R and/or Python.
• Strong command of English; knowledge of German or Polish is an asset.

Aufgaben

• Advance communication research on political social media influencers.
• Lead project work packages and develop research agenda.
• Conduct and publish high-quality research in communication journals.

Kenntnisse

Analytical skills

Strong programming skills in R

Strong programming skills in Python

Interest in political communication

Experience with computational text analysis

Ability to conduct independent research

Team collaboration

Strong command of English

Knowledge of German or Polish

Ausbildung

Doctoral degree in communication science or adjacent field

Jobbeschreibung

Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Communication at the University of Zurich (3+1 years), Lampertheim

Client:

University of Zurich

Location:

Lampertheim, Germany

Job Category:

Other

EU work permit required:

Yes

Job Reference:

7ebc016e79ac

Job Views:

5

Posted:

23.06.2025

Expiry Date:

07.08.2025

Job Description:

Your responsibilities

• Interest in advancing communication research on the role of political social media influencers.
• Take a leading role in the project's work package on the influence of PSMIs on political discourse and engagement, including applying computational social science methods using large multi-lingual and multi-modal social media datasets, and working with donated social media data.
• Develop your own research agenda within the broader scope of the project.
• Conduct and publish high-quality research in leading communication journals and at international conferences.
• Collaborate with other project members and research assistants.
• Provide support for project-related management and administrative tasks.

Your profile

• A very good doctoral degree in communication science (or close to completing) or an adjacent field (e.g., political science, sociology, social computing) with an interest in political communication and computational social science.
• Experience with computational text analysis methods, including large language models. Experience or interest in computer vision and/or network analysis is an asset.
• Strong programming skills in R and/or Python.
• Analytical skills and capacity for independent, internationally visible research.
• Enthusiasm for working in teams.
• Willingness to move to Zurich and travel internationally to engage with scientific communities.
• Strong command of English; knowledge of German or Polish is an asset.

What we offer

• Participation in a cutting-edge research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
• Opportunity to develop your own research agenda within the project framework.
• Funding for conferences, training, and research activities.
• 3 years of employment with a possible extension of 1 year, at 80% employment rate.
• Competitive salary (~5,000 CHF/month after taxes).
• A supportive, research-oriented team.
• An attractive work environment in Zurich, a vibrant city with high quality of life.

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