Department of Sociology

Postdoctoral researcher in social sciences with strong background in data science and complex survey methdology 60 - 80 %

Start of employment 01 June 2025, temporary

The Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich, established in 1966, is one of the leading institutes in Europe known for its excellent theory-driven empirical research with a strong focus on quantitative methods.
The Swiss Job Market Monitor (SJMM) collects a world-wide unique, comparable and representative database of job advertisements from 1950 onwards. For this purpose, the SJMM has developed a state-of-the-art data and survey infrastructure based on fully automated web scraping methods and specially developed NLP models for information extraction. The potential of big data can thus be optimally exploited.
The planned substantial expansion of the database makes the adaptation of the sampling and weighting design necessary to ensure representativeness and compararability across time together with establishing compatibility with past extensions of the database.
This unique dataset opens up new and innovative perspectives in labor market and social inequality research, promising to fill several important research gaps.
The SJMM team is part of the Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich and is headed by Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Marlis Buchmann and Prof. Dr. Katja Rost.

Your responsibilities

The position encompasses two main task bundles:
(1) Complex survey methodology applied to big data
  • Ensure temporal consistency in the sampling and weighting design during the expansion of the dataset.
  • Reevaluate and adapt sophisticated complex survey methods to effectively address characteristics of job advertisement data (e.g., changing significance of advertising channels, seasonal fluctuation, deduplication).
(2) Labor market research based on SJMM data
  • Conduct research with SJMM data on labor market topics (e.g., changing skill demand, shifts in work tasks, digitalization, job quality, gender bias).
  • Research publications in peer-reviewed journals; research presentation at international conferences.
  • Engage in tasks related to the maintenance of the job ad monitoring.

Your profile

  • PhD in (Computational) Social Sciences, Economics, Data Science or related fields.
  • Expertise and experience in advanced survey methodology and data science, ideally with a focus on integrating new online data sources.
  • Strong background in quantitative social sciences and excellent knowledge of R or Python.
  • Genuine research interest in labor market, occupational, or recruitment topics.
  • Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
  • Fluency in English and preferably also in German.

Information on your application

Start of employment June 1, 2025 or earlier, if possible (or by arrangement). We evaluate applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Please send your application as a single pdf-file, including CV and motivation letter.

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More

What we offer

Work-Life Balance
  • Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
  • Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH


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Learning and Development
  • Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
  • Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

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Food
  • Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
  • Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

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Healthcare
  • Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
  • Free seasonal flu vaccinations
  • Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

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Discounts
  • Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
  • Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
  • Special conditions on hotel reservations

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Conditions of Employment
  • Policies of the UZH
  • Most UZH staff are employed according to public law


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International Services
  • Support for people from outside Switzerland

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Campuses
  • Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
  • Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

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Location

Department of Sociology

Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland

Further information

Questions about the job

Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Marlis Buchmann Project leader
Contact Form

Contact question to: Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Marlis Buchmann

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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
UZH