University assistant predoctoral at the Department of Communication

University assistant predoctoral (prae-doc) at the Department of Communication, 49 Faculty of Social Sciences.

Start date: 01.10.2026 | Working hours: 30 | Collective bargaining agreement: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) | Limited until: 30.09.2030 | Reference no.: 5316

Two predoctoral university assistant positions within the research team of Professor Folker Hanusch at the Journalism Studies Center at the Department of Communication.

Your future tasks:

• You are involved in research projects and scientific studies in the area of journalism studies.
• You contribute to the organization of meetings, conferences, and symposia and support project applications and the acquisition of third-party funding.
• You publish in academic journals, and present the results at relevant (international) conferences.
• You work on your dissertation and its completion in the area of journalism studies under the supervision of Professor Folker Hanusch. We expect you to finalize your dissertation agreement within 12-18 months.
• You teach courses independently within the scope of the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
• You take on administrative tasks in research, teaching and administration.

This is part of your personality:

• You have obtained a completed MA / Magister degree in Communication and Journalism Studies or a related discipline.
• Interest in one or more of the research areas mentioned above is an advantage.
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods in journalism studies.
• Competence in data analysis; familiarity with SPSS, R and/or MAXQDA is an advantage.
• First experience in academic writing and possibly publishing.
• Didactic competencies / experience in e-learning.
• Excellent English skills (C1).
• You are a team player with strong social and communication skills.
• Knowledge of university processes and structures is an advantage, as is an internationally-oriented academic approach.

What we offer:

• Duration of contract: 4 years (initially 1.5 years, automatically extended).
• Fair salary: Basic monthly gross salary €2,832.08 (75% FTE; full-time equivalent €3,776.10), paid 14 times a year.

It is that easy to apply:

• Letter of intent (max. 2 pages)
• Academic CV/list of publications
• Summary of research interests/dissertation proposal outline (max. 2 pages)
• Master Degree / Diploma including transcript of records
• Letters of reference or contact details of two referees
• Via our job portal / Apply now - button

Application deadline: 05/17/2026