Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs

The Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main is one of the largest universities in Germany with around 41,000 students and with about 5,800 employees. Founded in 1914 by Frankfurt citizens and since 2008 once again proud of its foundation status Goethe University possesses a high degree of autonomy, modernity and professional diversity. As a comprehensive university, the Goethe University offers a total of 16 departments on five campuses and 155 degree programs along with an outstanding research reputation. Furthermore, the Goethe University is part of the Group of Rhine-Main-Universities (RMU).

The “Center for Critical Computational Studies” (C³S) is an interdisciplinary scientific institution and, as such, a central research center of Goethe University (www.c3s-frankfurt.de). The mission of C³S is to establish and enhance the profile of “Critical Computational Studies” as an inter- and transdisciplinary research field with international visibility. In this context, C³S is active in teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. As an interdisciplinary scientific institution of Goethe University, the center provides opportunities to bring together researchers from all departments, academic cultures, disciplines, and thematic areas within the context of “Critical Computational Studies,” and to foster both national and international networking. C³S is committed to scientific excellence and to the guidelines for ensuring good scientific practice, as well as to promoting and supporting the early independence of researchers at the early stages of their careers.

The Center for Critical Computational Studies (C³S) at Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main invites applications for a position in the field of Computational Social Science, with a focus on political behavior and political communication in transforming information environments, as a

Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d)

Starting on 01.09.2026 for a fixed term of three years. The salary grade is based on the job characteristics of the collective agreement applicable to Goethe University (TV-G-U).

Your tasks include, among others:

• participation in research and teaching within the Chair of Computational Social Science
• independent research on subjects including political behavior, political communication, public opinion and media literacy in transforming information environments and, more broadly, the impact of technological transformation on social and political processes
• actively publishing in the above-mentioned areas
• teaching courses on subjects related to Computational Social Science as outlined in the Higher Education Act of Hesse
• contribution to the extracurricular activities of the chair, i.e. supporting the international visiting scholars, or organizing summer/winter schools
• supervising undergraduate and graduate dissertations
• supporting and participating in grant writing for external funding for the research group of Computational Social Science
• attending conferences and events related to the research theme of the chair
• scientific services in the Kassel Foundation's research project

We expect from you:

• a completed university degree and PhD with outstanding academic performance in a social or computational science fields related to Computational Social Science, including political science, psychology, sociology, data science, economics, computer science, physics, statistics. Due to the profile of the group, applications with relevant degrees in political science, sociology, communication science, media studies and psychology will be given preferential consideration. The doctoral program must be completed before the start date.
• candidates from the computational sciences will be considered if they can demonstrate that they have in-depth and independent experience with social science research questions
• experience in researching issues related to Computational Social Science and excellent skills in quantative methods
• high affinity for interdisciplinary research (e.g., demonstrated through a PhD dissertation, publications, or internships)
• willingness to work collaboratively in a newly forming research team
• strong conceptual, strategic, analytical, and academic writing skills
• excellent written and spoken communication skills in English
• for non-German speakers: ability and willingness to obtain a B2-level German language certificate within the first two years

Desirable qualifications:

• experience with or strong interest in questions of data management, data protection and data access under the EU Digital Services Act
• interest in establishing sustainable analysis pipelines and research infrastructures in close collaboration with other units at Goethe University
• experience in multi-modal data analysis (including, for example, text, image, audio and video data)
• research involving the critical use of local large language models
• co-teaching or teaching assistance experience
• international experience and familiarity with international research environments (e.g., through study abroad, participation in international conferences or workshops)
• curiosity to independently learn new methodologies
• written and spoken proficiency in German is desirable

What We Offer:

Goethe University, as a family-friendly employer, offers flexible working hours, its own collective agreement, and currently a free LandesTicket Hessen for public transportation. The workplace is currently located on the Westend Campus, one of the most modern and beautiful university campuses in Germany, in the heart of Frankfurt am Main, with a park-like setting and good public transport connections.

Goethe University is committed to equal opportunity, family friendliness, and diversity. To strengthen the diversity of perspectives and lived experiences within the university, applications from individuals with a migration background and from members of other groups that have so far been underrepresented are particularly welcome. Applicants with a severe disability, or those legally equivalent, will be given preferential consideration in cases of equal suitability. If women are underrepresented in a faculty or administrative unit, they will be given preferential consideration in cases of equal qualifications.

Application:

Please submit your application, in English or German, by 14.04.2026 including a cover letter, detailed CV (including list of publications), and a teaching statement (no more than one page) via email to application@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de. Online interviews will take place in early May. Please note that the application documents will not be returned. We ask that you submit your application as a single PDF file, not exceeding 10 MB. Please note that the application documents will not be returned. Costs incurred during the application process will not be reimbursed by Goethe University.