Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi), Bamberg

The Leibniz-Institute for Educational Trajectories invites applications for the following full-time position (salary according to the collective agreement "TV-L" max. E13, 100% working time, starting 01.01.2026, ending 31.12.2026):

Visiting Researcher in Educational Measurement

The Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi), with about 250 employees, is an independent research and infrastructure institution for empirical educational research and a member of the Leibniz Association. The core of the institute is the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), the largest long-term educational study in Germany.

Your work environment

The research unit Educational Measurement focuses on the measurement and analysis of psychological characteristics relevant for applied educational research. This includes research on psychological assessment, psychometrics, and methods in large-scale assessments.

Your tasks

We are seeking an international visiting researcher to collaborate on an innovative research project in the field of educational measurement, with the aim of preparing a peer-reviewed research article. While the specific topic is open, the project should be relevant to large-scale assessments such as the NEPS. Potential research areas include (but are not limited to):

• Item response modeling of achievement tests
• Analysis of process data (e.g., response times) to enhance competence measurements
• Computer-adaptive methods and multi-stage testing
• Application of machine learning in psychometrics
• Predictive modeling of educational data
• Methodological challenges in cohort comparisons
• Advanced meta-analytic methods (e.g., meta-analytic structural equation modeling)

We are looking for a motivated researcher who is eager to contribute to a vibrant and growing field with strong societal relevance.

Your profile

• A completed PhD in psychology, educational measurement, statistics, or a related field
• Solid knowledge of psychometrics and experience with statistical software (e.g., R)
• Strong interest in psychological assessment, psychometrics, or quantitative methods
• A track record of publications in peer-reviewed English-language journals
• Affiliation with a research institution outside of Germany for at least 12 months prior to application
• Good command of English (German is not required)
• Willing to relocate to Germany for the duration of the position

We offer

• Working in the socially relevant field of educational research and in a region with a high quality of life
• A stimulating research environment with access to extensive data from Germany’s largest longitudinal educational study
• Flexible working hours in a pleasant work atmosphere
• Opportunities for academic visibility, including funding for conference participation and open access publications
• A fixed-term contract (non-renewable) for the duration of the research stay
• Flexible starting date and duration (up to 12 months) of the research stay
• Performance-related remuneration according to the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L) as well as a company pension plan with VBLU
• Modern equipped offices, social rooms, company health promotion, parent-child room, etc. for a pleasant working environment (details on our social benefits at https://www.lifbi.de/Career-at-LIfBi)

LIfBi advocates gender equality and staff diversity. Our institute promotes the compatibility of family, care and career through flexible working and part-time models.

Your contact

Please send your meaningful application by the 30.09.2025 via our online form.

In your application, please also include a brief outline of your research interests and/or planned research project (max. 500 words).

Questions regarding the content of the position will be anwered by Dr. Timo Gnambs (+49 951 700 60 035, timo.gnambs(at)lifbi.de).