Postdoc in NLP and Research Knowledge Graphs (KTS-80)

Köln

Full-time

Temporary

GESIS – Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences is an internationally active research institute, funded by federal and state governments and member of the Leibniz Association.

Starting on 1. October 2026 our Department Knowledge Technologies for the Social Sciences (KTS), Team Information and Data Retrieval located in Cologne is looking for a

Postdoc in NLP and Research Knowledge Graphs
(Salary group 13 TV-L, working time 100%, limited till 31.12.2028, subject to approval)

The department Knowledge Technologies for Social Sciences (KTS) conducts research at the intersection of information retrieval, natural language processing, semantic technologies and human information interaction as foundation for innovative web portals and platforms for the search and use of research data.

AI is transforming the scientific process across disciplines. In the NFDI4DS project, we develop infrastructures that empower researchers to responsibly adopt AI methods—for example, by establishing fair benchmarking protocols, ensuring transparent evaluation and documentation of AI models and LLMs, and curating a repository of open, reusable AI-based methods, along with related training materials and events. In this context, we are seeking a motivated researcher to coordinate and lead these activities.

Your tasks will be:

Lead dedicated work packages and a team of researchers within the NFDI4DS project including coordination with project partners and supervision of PhD students
Research scholarly information extraction and develop methods for building Research Knowledge Graphs (e.g., GESIS KG)
Develop, integrate, and evaluate services, models, and systems using established benchmarks
Advance the NFDI4DS Academy through community engagement, content acquisition (methods, tutorials, training material) and integration with third party infrastructures
Exchange with scientific and user communities and dissemination of project results through publications and workshops at national and international level

Your profile:

Master's degree and completed a PhD in computer science, data science, or a related field
Experience in project management
Proven experience in NLP research and knowledge graphs, specifically in the context of scholarly information extraction
Very good experience in software development with Python, AI-tooling, NLP technologies and database technologies
Very good verbal and written communication skills in English; good knowledge of German desirable

Our Benefits:

A growing, international work environment with access to unique datasets
Excellent career opportunities in software development and data engineering
Flexible working hours and regulations for mobile working
Very good conditions for reconciling work and family life, e.g. subsidies for childcare for children who have not yet attained the age of compulsory schooling
Holistic company health management and discounted participation in the university's sports programme
Generous support for your pension provision as a direct insurance policy
Promotion of your skills through further training measures

Contact

For further information concerning the tasks please contact Philipp Mayr via phone +49 221 47694 533 or via E-Mail (philipp.mayr@gesis.org). If you have questions about the application process, please contact Christine Laßmann via E-Mail (Christine.Lassmann@gesis.org).

Interested?

Please apply via our Online-application portal until June 17th, 2026.
Our reference number is: KTS-80

About us

GESIS is one of the world's leading social science infrastructure facilities, supporting researchers at all levels of their research projects with expertise and infrastructure services. We help ensure that socially relevant questions can be answered based on reliable data, the latest scientific methods and research information. We help with study planning and data collection, provide high-quality research data, support with data preparation and analysis, and finally with data archiving.
GESIS helps you gain further qualifications. We offer our employees a wide range of career opportunities in an appealing work environment with a high degree of personal responsibility and creative freedom. With us, you will work in an international environment in the heart of Mannheim and Cologne and benefit from a flexible work environment as well as internal and external networks.
GESIS ensures compliance with the guidelines for the severely disabled and promotes professional equality between women and men.
Full-time positions can also be filled on a part-time basis.
As a family-friendly employer, we have been certified by the “berufundfamilie” audit since 2010.
Further information on working at GESIS can be found here.