Zeppelin Universität (ZU) in Friedrichshafen on the Lake of Constance is a state-recognized, private university with BA, MA and doctoral programs in the fields of business, culture and politics. It is committed to interdisciplinarity, internationality and individuality in research and teaching.

We are currently looking to fill the following position (100%, 40 hours per week) for three years at the Chair of International Relations (Prof. Dr. Maria J. Debre) starting on 1 April 2026.

Postdoctoral research fellow (f/m/x)

The Post-Doc will be part of the project APPIO (Autocratization, Policy Preferences and the Performance of International Organizations), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The collaborative project is co-headed by Prof. Dr. Maria J. Debre (Zeppelin University) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Sommerer (Universität Potsdam).

APPIO examines how shifts toward autocracy among International Organization (IO) member states influence decision-making, policy output, and legitimacy of IOs. APPIO seeks to develop and expand three core datasets to understand effects for IOs: one on the decision-making performance in the form of policy output, one on output produced by international bureaucracies in the form of scientific publications, and one on the sponsorship of resolutions by autocratizing states. By combining large-N comparative data analysis, text mining, case studies, and survey experiments, APPIO seeks to uncover whether and how international cooperation can remain effective and legitimate in an era of democratic decline.

• Contribute to the conceptual and theoretical development of the project and play a leading role in its empirical implementation
• Support data collection and analysis on IO performance, including data on policy and bureaucratic output, as well as resolution sponsorship
• Publish research results in top-tier international journals
• Present research findings at international conferences
• Support project management (e.g., workshop organization, project website)
• Participate in regular meetings of the members of the research project
• No teaching obligation, but opportunity to teach
• Advance your own academic profile and qualification

• An excellent Ph.D. in international relations, political science, or data science
• A keen interest in matters of international organizations or autocratization
• First experiences with academic publishing
• Experience in computational text analysis (e.g., Large Language Models (LLMs), Natural Language Processing (NLP), the application of quantitative research methods, as well as in data collection and management
• Proficiency in data management software (R/Python/Stata)
• An international orientation and very good English language skills
• Interest in further developing your own research agenda

We offer a varied and challenging job in an innovative working and learning environment with currently more than 220 exceptional and dedicated colleagues as well as 700 students. You will be paid a competitive salary commensurate with a TV-L 13 position of 100 % (depending on prior experience) as well as the opportunity to develop an individual research profile and receive high-quality mentoring for your academic career.

Additional benefits:

• Funding available for participation in international conferences and methods training
• Active support and mentoring by both PIs as well as integration into their European and transatlantic networks
• Flexible working hours as well as possibility for home office work
• Support for company pension plans
• Participation in the company fitness program Wellpass
• "Deutschlandticket” (train ticket valid everywhere in Germany) as job ticket, subsidized by the university
• Nursery subsidies
• JobRad (bicycle leasing program)
• Corporate Benefits program

Zeppelin Universität is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants with disabilities will be given priority. Zeppelin Universität supports the compatibility of family and work and promotes gender equality.

Are you interested? Please send your detailed application documents (cover letter, CV, list of publications, educational certificates and one writing sample) to Ute Aisenpreis (HR Management) until 15 February 2026, including your earliest availability via the application management system softgarden (application link) .

For any specific questions regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Maria J. Debre at maria.debre@zu.de or Prof. Dr. Thomas Sommerer at thomas.sommerer@uni-potsdam.de