CED - Postdoctoral Researcher in Singlehood and Social Inequality - SINGLE (ERC project)

Centre for Demographic Studies (CED); España; Hybrid; EUR 42,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Vacation days

Conference attendance budget

Hybrid work in Barcelona

Job summary

Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics (CED) in Barcelona invites applications for a quantitative postdoctoral researcher on the ERC-funded SINGLE project. The full-time, three-year position is based at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus near Barcelona.

The role entails engaging with large-scale data, developing survey content, and publishing findings. The project focuses on understanding singlehood and social stratification across Europe, with opportunities for collaboration, professional

Qualifications

• PhD in Sociology or Demography (or related social science).
• Demonstrated research expertise related to singlehood and social inequality.
• Strong statistical and data skills with large-scale data.
• Excellent verbal and written communication in English.

Responsibilities

• Co-author peer-reviewed publications with the PI using secondary and original data.
• Develop independent singlehood-related research within the project.
• Contribute to the development of the multi-country SURVEY content and measures.
• Support scientific coordination of the project’s survey with external collaborators.
• Participate in international conferences, workshops, and project activities.
• Contribute to the intellectual activities of the SINGLE team and the CED research community.

Skills

Statistical analysis

English communication

Large-scale data analysis

Education

PhD in Sociology or Demography

Job description

Organisation/Company Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) Research Field Demography Sociology » Social changes Sociology Political sciences Economics Mathematics » Statistics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 2 Dec 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number 101163333 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics (CED) is hiring a quantitative postdoctoral researcher to join the ERC-funded project, ‘SINGLE – Understanding the Demography and Stratification of Singlehood in Europe’ (PI: Dr. Ariane Ophir , Grant number 101163333). This is a full-time position for three years, based at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus, just outside of Barcelona.

About the Project

SINGLE is a comparative 5-year project dedicated to understanding the drivers and consequences of singlehood. The project pays particular attention to the demographic and social drivers of singlehood and its diverse, complex consequences.

The project is organized around two interconnected themes: (1) Demography of Singlehood – a framework for evaluating and disseminating demographic estimates of singlehood, highlighting trends, patterns, as well as offering a population perspective to understanding selection and terminology related to singlehood (2) Stratification of Singlehood – asking whether, how, and where social stratification is reproduced or mitigated within the single population across a wide range of social, economic, health, and interpersonal outcomes. SINGLE aims to move beyond existing scholarly narratives towards a more complex understanding of the role of context (time, country, culture, policies) in shaping diverse outcomes among singles that pertain to themselves, their choices and constraints, and their relationships with the people and community around them. Gender, life course/aging, and class are primary stratification axes of interest.
In addition to leveraging large-scale comparative secondary data (e.g., GGS, ESS, SHARE, EU-SILC, time use), SINGLE will run an original multi-country singlehood survey. The survey will address the project's core questions while also providing opportunities to develop new concepts and perspectives to advance a multidimensional, complex, and comparative understanding of contemporary singlehood.

About the Position

We are looking for a motivated, curious quantitative social scientist whose work fits within or expands the project’s scope. Singlehood is an emerging area of social science research, and relevant expertise may take many forms that are not necessarily labeled as “singlehood research.” In addition to candidates studying singlehood directly, we welcome candidates whose research related to relevant demographic behaviors, populations, and life-course transitions, or the role of marriage/partnerships in shaping key social, economic, health, or interpersonal outcomes relevant to the project’s scope.
We are particularly interested in researchers who could leverage the project’s comparative framework, secondary data infrastructure, and original survey to strengthen their own research agenda. The postdoc will be encouraged to develop innovative theoretical or methodological approaches to singlehood.
The postdoc will also play a key role in the survey’s intellectual development and support its implementation, working with the PI, external survey methodology consultants, the survey company, and other research staff. Experience with original surveys and a professional interest in developing survey leadership experience is particularly valuable, but survey methodology expertise is not required.

Key research responsibilities include:

• Co-authoring peer-reviewed publications with the PI using secondary and original data
• Develop independent singlehood-related research within the project
• Contribute intellectually to the development of the project’s original multi-country survey, helping shape research questions, modules, and measures including the potential content linked to the postdoc’s own research agenda
• Support scientific coordination of the project's survey in collaboration with the PI, survey methodology external consultants, survey company, and research staff
• Participating in international conferences, workshops, and other project-related activities
• Contribute to the intellectual activities of the SINGLE team and the CED research community

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Sociology, Demography or a related social science field
• Demonstrated research expertise related to singlehood (as described above), and strong motivation to study singlehood as a substantive social phenomenon related to social inequality
• Strong statistical and data skills, preferably with large-scale, complex, nationally representative data
• Experience contributing to original quantitative data collectionExcellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Nice to have Assets

• Academic curiosity and breadth, including the ability to engage with topics beyond one’s own research area
• Experience with cross-national quantitative research
• Knowledge of a European language is an asset (knowledge of Spanish or Catalan is helpful for life in Barcelona)

Salary and Benefits

• Gross annual salary: €42,000 - €44,500 (14 payments per year). Net annual calculator for Barcelona is available here
• Duration: This is a three-year contract (37.5 hours/week) with the possibility of extension through the end of the grant on 30/06/2030
• The position offers full employment benefits in accordance with Spanish labor laws, including healthcare, vacation days, social security etc.
• Work is based in Barcelona, with possibility of two days a week working from home
• Budget for conference attendance and training courses is available as well as professional development support

Deadline

Applications are due by Wednesday 02/12/2026 at 12:00PM (noon), Central European Time (CET).

Interview and Selection Timeline

• Applications will be reviewed after the closing date
• Interviews will be held online and are tentatively scheduled for mid-December or Mid-January
  
• PhD in Sociology, Demography or a related social science field
• Demonstrated research expertise related to singlehood (as described above), and strong motivation to study singlehood as a substantive social phenomenon related to social inequality
• Strong statistical and data skills, preferably with large-scale, complex, nationally representative data
• Experience contributing to original quantitative data collection
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Specific Requirements

Nice to have Assets

• Academic curiosity and breadth, including the ability to engage with topics beyond one’s own research area
• Experience with cross-national quantitative research
• Knowledge of a European language is an asset (knowledge of Spanish or Catalan is helpful for life in Barcelona)