Postdoctoral researcher (f/m/d)

The interdisciplinary Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies is seeking candidates for the position of a

Postdoctoral researcher (f/m/d)

Full-time, 39.5 hours/week

The successful candidate will join the project “Justice in Transitions to Sustainability” (JuTSy) at the Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS), a central research institute at Heidelberg University, Germany. The project aims to understand how different meanings of justice in public debates shape policies related to the transition to sustainability and impact citizen support for just transition policies. The successful candidate is expected to have a strong background in quantitative methods and will carry out and lead data collection and analysis of diverse content and individual-level data (e.g., content analysis and experiments). The successful candidate will closely work with the project’s principal investigators, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Alejandro Ecker (Political Science), Jun.-Prof. Dr. Rosa Lehmann (Political Science/Human Geography), and Jun.-Prof. Dr. Pablo Porten-Cheé (Communication Science) at the HCIAS. The center addresses interdisciplinary issues concerning the macro-region of Ibero-America, highlighting social communication, political and social dynamics, and conditions of space. JuTSy is a project funded by the Heidelberg Center for the Environment and follows the center′s aim to address societal issues that require interdisciplinary approaches from the natural and the social sciences.

Your tasks:

• Contribute to excellent research at the crossroads of political science, communication science, and human geography on just transitions
• Conduct quantitative text/content analysis (also Large-N analysis) of public debates around just transitions, including news, speeches, and public communication of civil society and industry actors
• Conduct experimental research on citizen evaluations and acceptance of transition policies
• Collaborate in joint publications for peer-reviewed international journals
• Contribute to writing a larger-scale, follow-up grant proposal

Your profile:

• Doctoral degree in a discipline within the social sciences (e.g., political science, communication science, sociology, psychology); applications from individuals in the final stages of their Ph.D. are also welcome
• Experience in the application of one or both quantitative analysis methods: conducting quantitative text/content analysis, conducting surveys/survey experiments
• Advanced skills in statistical packages/programs (ideally SPSS, R, and/or Python)
• Experience in publishing in peer-reviewed journals and regular presentation of research in academic conferences
• Willingness to engage in debates around sustainability, just transition, and socio-ecological transformation
• Ability to work in a team as well as independently
• Fluency in English and German
• Prior experience in writing grant proposals is highly desirable

We offer:

• A collegial and productive working atmosphere in a nationally and internationally connected research context
• Funding support for conferences and research activities
• A wide range of opportunities for further training and career development

Remuneration for the position is based on pay group 13 TV-L. The contract is limited to 24 months and starts preferably in March 2024.

Interested candidates should send the following documents in a single PDF file via email to Jun.-Prof. Dr. Pablo Porten-Cheé ([email protected] ): Motivation letter (1-2 pages max.), CV (including publications and documentation of obtained degrees), and a writing sample (e.g., a research paper, 20 pages max.). Deadline for applications: January 15, 2024. Interviews are scheduled for the end of January. For questions, please contact Jun.-Prof. Dr. Pablo Porten-Cheé.

Heidelberg University stands for equal opportunity and diversity. Qualified female candidates are especially invited to apply. Persons with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Information on job advertisements and the collection of personal data is available at www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/job-market .