The Labour Geography Unit at the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich (UZH) invites applications for a full-time postdoc or senior researcher post. The appointment will be for four years and start in June 2026 at the latest.

The appointee will conduct research in the project " Underemployed ” that was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant 2025.They will join a research team that uses qualitative social science methods to better understand the rise of involuntary part-time employment across Europe – with Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom serving as focus countries. The appointee is responsible for the case studies in the United Kingdom.

We are looking for an experienced researcher who is excited by the possibility of doing a theoretically grounded, societally relevant research project that engages with precarious workers. The aims of the project "Underemployed” are to (1) produce foundational knowledge on the work-time arrangements in involuntary part-time labour across sectors and national contexts, (2) to identify norms and policies in labour, migration, gender and welfare regimes that foster or hinder the emergence of underemployment and (3) to develop recommendations which will allow decision makers of all kinds to reduce the number and improve the situation of underemployed workers.

• You will collaborate with workers, employers, policy makers, activists, academics and other experts to do qualitative research on time-related underemployment with a focus on the sectors retail, cleaning, care and education in the United Kingdom
• You will contribute to the organisation and realisation of the project "Underemployed”, including project administration as well as organisation of workshops and conferences
• You will present and publish project results at appropriate academic venues and share them with the broader public
• You will contribute to teaching and services in the Labour Geography Unit at UZH

• You have a PhD in Human Geography, Labour Studies or a related social science discipline
• You have in-depth knowledge on the labour, migration, gender and welfare regimes in the United Kingdom – ideally from doing empirical research in the UK
• You bring substantial experience in doing qualitative social science research related to labour and precarity
• You speak and write fluently in English
• You are good at collaborating in a team and you value diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Your benefits

• You will work in a stimulating and supportive research environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration and exchange
• You will receive regular mentoring and support in pursuing your academic career
• You will benefit from flexible working hours and home officing options (Our expectation is three days of presence per week during term time at UZH Irchel Campus, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland)
• You will profit from secure funding for four years, including funds for workshop and conference visits abroad
• You will get paid according to UZH regulations . (Your salary will depend on your qualifications and work experience and will start at pay class 18, pay level 3 for postdocs = KL 18 / LS 3).
• You will have a holiday entitlement of 25 days per year plus public holidays
• You will get a personal workplace with high-quality technical equipment (laptop and screen)
• You will be able to profit from the lively, culturally diverse and inspiring institute and campus environment, from the attractive working conditions and the manifold opportunities for further education at UZH. (With around 30,000 students and 10,000 employees, UZH is the largest university in Switzerland. As a member of the "League of European Research Universities”, it counts among the leading European universities)
• You will be able to enjoy the excellent living environment of Zurich and its surroundings that offer a broad range of cultural activities and easy access to lakes, countryside and mountains.

Information on your application

• A motivation letter, explaining why you are applying for this position, and demonstrating how you fulfil the criteria listed above
• A CV and the contact details for three referees
• The detailed transcripts of your academic degrees (bachelor, master & PhD)
• A sample of your writing in English (e.g. a single authored journal article or a chapter of your PhD-thesis) that provides insight into your previous academic work