Creating knowledge. Making a difference. Shaping the future. This is what the University of Münster stands for as one of the strongest research-oriented universities in Germany and one of the largest employers in the region. Every day, over 7,000 employees devote themselves to cutting-edge research and excellent teaching. We share more than a workplace. We share the desire to make a real impact – regionally and internationally. Our day-to-day work is distinguished by diversity, openness and space to pursue one’s ideas. Become a part of our team – in academia, a technical or manual trade, or administration.

The Institute of Sociology in the Faculty of Educational and Social Sciences at the University of Münster, Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a

Postdoctoral Researcher (salary level E 13 TV-L)

for the externally funded project BOOST (ERC Starting Grant, PI: Prof. Dr. Isabel Raabe) at the earliest possible date. We are offering a fixed-term full-time position for four years.

BOOST investigates how adolescents’ online and offline relationships develop and how these dynamics shape social inequalities. Using an innovative longitudinal design, the project will collect complete social network data from entire school cohorts over multiple years. The project combines perspectives from sociology, psychology, and network science. The project is expected to start on 1 April 2027.

Your tasks:

Collaboration in the ERC project BOOST
Contributing to the design and implementation of a multi-wave school-based longitudinal study
Further development and coordination of survey instruments across data collection waves
Scientific oversight of and coordination with the external fieldwork organization
Documentation and management of research data
Conducting longitudinal social network analyses
Contributing to scientific publications and conference presentations
Contributing to dissemination and knowledge-transfer activities
Developing research questions and publication projects within the framework of the project

Our expectations:

Required qualifications

A Masters's Degree and a completed PhD in Sociology, another social science discipline, or Psychology.
Strong quantitative research skills, demonstrated through their application in theses and/or peer-reviewed publications.

Desirable qualifications

Research interests in adolescence, social relationships, digital media, and/or social inequality
Experience with survey data collection, including the design, implementation, and management of survey studies (school-based and/or other populations)
Experience with social network analysis (e.g., SAOMs, ERGMs), longitudinal data, and survey research
Experience using R or comparable statistical software
Experience with scientific publishing, research data management, and/or Open Science practices
Excellent written and spoken English
Ability to work in a team, strong communication skills, and an independent and well structured working style
International academic experience (e.g., conference presentations, research visits, or visiting appointments

Advantages for you:

Participation in an ERC-funded research project with high international visibility
Opportunity to work with a unique longitudinal social network dataset on online-offline socialization processes and related topics
Extensive opportunities to contribute your own ideas, develop new research directions, and actively shape the project
Excellent opportunities to develop an independent research profile and lead your own publication projects
Opportunities to gain teaching experience at the Institute of Sociology, if desired
Appreciation, commitment, openness and respect – values which are important to us.
Our broad range of diverse work-time models offers great flexibility – also when working from home.
If you have family members or young children in your care, our Family Service Office offers concrete support to help you balance your private and professional responsibilities.
As an educational institution, we are deeply committed to offering occupational training and continuing education opportunities tailored to your individual needs.
From A – Z, Aikido to Zumba, our sport and health programmes ensure a healthy work-life balance.
As a university employee, you are entitled to numerous benefits afforded to public servants, e.g. an attractive company pension scheme (VBL), an annual end-of-year bonus and a position that is shielded from economic fluctuations.

The University of Münster strongly supports equal opportunity and diversity. We welcome all applicants regardless of sex, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to creating family-friendly working conditions. Part-time options are generally available.

We actively encourage applications by women. Women with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered unless these are outweighed by reasons which necessitate the selection of another candidate.

Are you interested? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 2026-11-30 at:

University of Münster
Institute of Sociology
Prof. Dr. Isabel Raabe

Please send your application as a single PDF file containing a cover letter, a curriculum vitae including a list of publications, degree certificates, and the names of two individuals who can provide a reference upon request to soziologie@uni-muenster.de. Please note that we cannot consider applications submitted in any other file format.

Reference number: 2026_11_07