Job Description

Department of Political Science

Student Assistant Positions 15 - 20 %

==========================================


Start of employment 15.10.2025, temporary
The research groups "Policy Analysis" (Prof. Fabrizio Gilardi) and "Political Behavior and Digital Media" (Prof. Karsten Donnay) in the Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich invite applications for several student assistant positions starting from October 15, 2025, or as soon as possible by agreement.

Your responsibilities

-------------------------


The positions contribute to a large-scale, collaborative research project that investigates ways in which the quality of online public discourse can be improved. The project develops computational methods for the semi-automatic detection of both toxic and constructive content and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions against toxicity and for promoting constructive dialogue.



The student assistants directly support ongoing work that investigates the prevalence of hateful/abusive speech on a large social media platform. This includes reviewing and validating automated content classification systems and contributing to their overall development. They will also support fielding a large-scale online field experiment.

Your profile

----------------


Applicants for this position should meet the following requirementsCurrently enrolled in a BA or MA program at a Swiss University. Strong English language skills are required Spanish language skills highly preferred, particularly native speakers from Latin America Attention to detail and ability to work with sensitive content professionally Interest in social media, content moderation, or computational social science

Information on your application

-----------------------------------


We are hiring with a 15-20% employment rate for a fixed term till end of the fall semester (December 2025 or January 2026), with a possibility of extension.



Salary (20% employment): about 1'015 Fr./month for BA students, about 1'175 Fr. for MA students. Working hours for the position are generally very flexible but for a few weeks we would expect availability in the late afternoon on several days per weeks.

We offer

Working in an interesting, cutting-edge project together with an interdisciplinary and international team of researchers Immediate start date Training and support provided Remote work possible

Starting date

The starting date for the positions is October 15, 2025, or as soon as possible by agreement.

Closing date for applications

Applications should be submitted as soon as possible. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until all positions are filled. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis (and can be done online, if needed).

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

Learning and Development

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

Food

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

Healthcare

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

Discounts

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

Conditions of Employment

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

International Services

Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

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

Location

------------

Department of Political Science

Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland

Further information

-----------------------

Questions about the job

Prof. Dr. Karsten Donnay

Assistant Professor

Questions about the application procedure

Susanne Arlt

Personalverantwortliche
044 634 39 19

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!