Job Description

Institute of Sociology, University of Bern

Start of employment: January 2026 or by agreement

Duration: Up to 4 years


The Institute of Sociology (IfS) at the University of Bern invites applications for a doctoral position (PhD candidate, full time), starting on January 1 or by mutual agreement. The position is part of a Starting Grant project exploring how career paths are shaped by gender, ethnicity, and social background.


Tasks
Participation in the above-mentioned research project: Conduct research on career evelopment inequalities related to gender, ethnicity, and social background. Assist in the setup of a linked employer-employee dataset and support data collection methods, including choice experiments, text analysis, and interviews. Engage in regular discussions with peers and mentors, contributing to a publication-based PhD thesis. There are no teaching commitments, but opportunities to participate in BA/MA programs are available.
Requirements


Master's degree (or final semester) in sociology or related field (e.g., economics, organizational psychology) with a strong interest in labor market inequalities. Strong quantitative skills with proficiency in R, Stata, or Python; familiarity with large-scale datasets, experiments, text analysis, or qualitative methods is a plus. Interest in interdisciplinary research. Proficiency in English; knowledge of a Swiss official language is an advantage. Ability to work independently, self-motivated, with strong problem-solving and communication skills.
We offer


Participation in an exciting research project with opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration (economics, psychology, data science). Close mentorship and structured PhD training. Salary according to SNSF regulations and 5 weeks of paid holiday per year. Flexible working hours and the possibility of partial remote work.
For subject-specific questions and information about the position, please contact

Prof. Dr. Benita Combet

(benita.combet@unibe.ch)
For your application, please submit a motivation letter, CV, transcript of records, and a writing sample (e.g., seminar paper or thesis). In addition, please include the names and contact details of two references. Submit your complete application as a single PDF.



Review of applications will start on

Friday November 21th 2025

and will continue until the position is filled.





www.karriere.unibe.ch
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