60% / 01.03.2026

The Department of Social Sciences of the University of Basel invites applications for a PhD position in Political Science (with Prof. Stefanie Bailer) for a duration of four years. This position is for an initial period of one year, renewable for another three years after positive evaluation. The starting date of the position is March 1, 2026.

Your position

Your profile

• Master Degree in Political Science or related areas
• Skills in quantitative methods and/or computational methods (e.g. text-as-data methods)
• Strong command of R and/or Stata
• Didactic competence and enthusiasm for teaching
• Willingness to collaborate with colleagues, and to contribute to the academic activities and further development of the Political Science group
• Willingness to contribute to the university's self-administration
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of German is a plus (part of courses are taught in German)

We offer you

• Opportunity to conduct independent research and collaborate in a motivated team
• Position for the maximum duration of four years (one year initially)
• Salary and social benefits according to the University of Basel guidelines
• Dedicated faculty mentorship to support your academic progress

• A motivation letter
• CV, diploma, 1-2 academic references (name and address)
• A writing sample (e.g. master thesis or seminar thesis)
• A brief outline of a suggested PhD project in the fields of comparative politics such as representation, legislative studies, corruption, political methodology or related topics (1-2 pages)
• 1-2 suggestions for possible seminars to be taught at the University of Basel (title and abstract)