Post- doc

SWPS University; Polska; On-site; PLN 118,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discount on graduate studies

Language course discounts 30%

Erasmus+ program

Private healthcare (Medicover/Lux Med)

Multisport gym

Group life insurance (PZU)

Job summary

SWPS University is seeking a Postdoc to conduct a three-stage research project covering platform audit, audience interviews, and survey planning. Core duties include thorough documentation, drafting publications, and presenting results at academic conferences.

A PhD in social sciences is preferred, with experience in digital content research and English academic writing. The role requires strong qualitative analysis skills, familiarity with platform cultures (TikTok/Instagram), and the ability

Qualifications

• PhD in social sciences with strong publication track record.
• Experience in netnography or research on digital content and practices.
• Experience in in-depth interviews, including on sensitive topics, with diverse views.

Responsibilities

• Conduct qualitative and platform-based research across three stages; document methodology and results.
• Draft academic publications, reports, and practitioner resources; present findings at conferences.

Skills

Qualitative analysis

Netnography

In-depth interviews

Academic writing

English (C1)

Polish (native or near-native)

Education

PhD in Social Sciences

Tools

SPSS

Stata

R

Job description

Organisation/Company SWPS University Research Field Sociology » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw) Country Poland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 2 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

• Conducting research tasks across three stages
  • Stage 1. Platform research
    • conducting the algorithmic audit of TikTok and Instagram, including observation sessions and documentation of recommendation pathways
    • building and archiving a corpus of videos and posts, and ensuring data quality and documentation
    • netnography and multimodal analysis of image, sound, text and hashtags, using a shared codebook
    • coordinating coding and checking inter-coder agreement
  • Stage 2. Research with audiences
    • planning and conducting in-depth interviews (IDIs)
    • thematic analysis of data
  • Stage 3. Survey research
    • support in planning and conducting quantitative research
    • interpretation of survey results
• Core responsibilities across the full project lifecycle: conducting and documenting qualitative and platform-based research, drafting academic publications, reports, and practitioner resources, and presenting research findings at academic conferences.
• PhD in Social Sciences (preference given to Sociology, Political Science, or Media and Social Communication Studies)
• experience in netnography or other research on digital content and practices
• experience in conducting in-depth interviews, including on sensitive topics and with people holding different views, in a non-judgemental manner
• skills in qualitative analysis, including team-based work with a codebook
• familiarity with platform cultures, especially TikTok and Instagram
• knowledge of the literature on gender, populism, radical right, alt-right and radicalisation
• rigour in documenting research and managing data, including knowledge of research ethics and personal data protection
• the ability to organise teamwork and to cooperate with external contractors
• the ability to prepare an article for an international journal independently
• readiness to work at the intersection of qualitative and quantitative methods
• English at C1 level or higher, sufficient for academic writing
• native or near-native Polish (C2), as the research material and interviews are in Polish

Preferred qualifications:

• experience in visual analysis or multimodal discourse analysis
• basic knowledge of SPSS, Stata, or R
• publications in reputable international journals

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Languages POLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• salary of PLN PLN 11,667 gross gross /month (the amount will be reduced by the employer's costs- taxes and social security contributions)
• support for academic development from the Research and Projects Department in obtaining and managing grants
• opportunity to participate in scientific conferences
• bonuses for high-scoring publications affiliated with SWPS University
• support for the commercialization of research projects
• an attractive benefits package:
  • a discount on graduate and postgraduate studies for employees as well as their close relatives and partners. This discount increases with the employee’s seniority
  • a discount on SWPS University’s remaining educational offer
  • a 30% discount on language courses offered by SWPS University’s language school
  • professional development opportunities through participation in the Erasmus+ program
  • psychological support via SWPS University's Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Clinic
  • a Multisport Plus gym and fitness benefits package
  • subsidized private healthcare package in Medicover or Lux Med for employees and attractively priced packages for their close relatives and partners
  • access to a cafeteria of one-time benefits
  • subsidized purchase of corrective glasses
  • group life insurance policy option with the PZU insurance company

Eligibility criteria:

• CV with a list of academic achievements (with direct reference to the eligibility criteria listed above), as well as a description of other professional experience and interests
• a scan of a document confirming the award of a doctoral degree in the social sciences
• a statement confirming proficiency in a foreign language at the required level

Formal criteria:

• academic achievements, including publications in reputable journals/publishers and active participation in national and international conferences: 25% of the final grade
• competencies relevant to the tasks in the research project: 60% of the finalgrade
• distinctions resulting from scientific work (scholarships, awards), experience gained outside the home institution (domestically or abroad), workshops, training, and participation in research projects: 15% of the final grade

Selection process:

• the deadline for submission of documents is: 2026-11-30
• successful candidates will be announced on: 2026-12-20
• date of commencement of work: 2027-01-01
• Ph.D.,Prof. at USWPSMarta Żerkowska-Balas - Chair of the Committee
• Professor Mikołaj Cześnik - Member of the Committee
• Ph.D.,Prof. at USWPS Michał Wenzel - Member of the Committee
• Aleksandra Prusinowska - Member of the HR
• Julia Machnio - Committee Secretary

Additional comments:

The Competition Committee reserves the right to contact only selected candidates.

The candidates who receive the highest scores from the Committee will be invited for an interview.

For any additional information please contact [e-mail] referring to ref. no. 1183/INS/WWA/26.