Professorship in Sociology 100 %

The University of Zurich invites applications for a professorship in sociology starting on 1 August 2027.

The future holder of this position is expected to have conducted excellent, internationally visible research in the field of quantitative sociological methods and sociological methodology, with an additional specialization in a substantive research area within sociology. They must also have experience in teaching, leadership, and acquiring third-party funding. In addition to traditional survey and/or causal research, their expertise must include advanced computational methods and designs (e.g., unstructured, process-generated data, AI, LLM, machine learning). Candidates are expected to apply these methods in a theory-driven manner in at least one key area of sociological research. In terms of teaching, the professorship is responsible for the training of students in empirical social research at the Department of Sociology. Teaching on the BA level will include introductory courses on empirical social research and sociological research designs; on the MA level, we expect the candidate to develop and teach advanced courses in existing or new methodological areas. In addition to developing innovative research ideas for the discipline, candidates are expected to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration at the Department of Sociology, at the University of Zurich, within Switzerland and internationally.

Candidates must have completed their PhD at the time of application and have achieved a habilitation or equivalent qualifications in sociology, as well as international visibility (especially through their publications, third-party funding, presentations, networks, awards, outreach activities). Depending on the qualifications of the person to be appointed, the professorship will be filled as a full professorship or an associate professorship. They will be expected to teach not only in English, but also (in the long term) partly in German. In addition, the administrative language of the University of Zurich is German, which is why non-German speaking candidates are expected acquire sufficient German language skills within the first three years of their appointment.

The Department of Sociology, the University of Zurich, and Zurich as a center of higher education offer a stimulating research and teaching environment with a wide range of opportunities for academic exchange and cooperation. The University of Zurich is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity in research and teaching. Therefore, applications from candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged.

Applications must be submitted online by 25 February 2026. Access and information on the online application process can be found at the website of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences .