Research Data Manager (PostDoc) for mapping harvesting relationships (KTS-84)

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 October 1, 2026 our Department Knowledge Technologies for the Social Sciences (KTS), Team FAIR Data located in Cologne, is looking for a

Research Data Manager (PostDoc) for mapping harvesting relationships
(Salary group 13 TV-L, working time 100 %, limited for three years)

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.

The HaFER project’s goal is to improve the visibility of German research data by identifying how metadata is propagated between the many services collecting such data. For this, we will build a map that will identify which data services harvest which metadata, and how metadata are transformed in the process. Based on this map we will offer best practices to the data services, negotiate with harvesters on how to present metadata better. The positions requires both networking capabilities within the relevant communities as well as technical skills to wrangle, model and analyze the metadata.

Your tasks will be:

Managing and coordinating the HaFER project to make it a success
Setting-up automated systems for metadata collection with the help of AI tools
Networking within the NFDI and other research data organizations to help promote the goals of HaFER, including organization of networking events
Conducting research in the topics of the department

Your profile:

Completed academic university degree (Master’s or equivalent) and completed PhD in Computer Science, Social Science or related subjects
Experience in Research Data Management, for example in the context of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), or with services that harvest research metadata
Experience in handling, curating, harvesting and/or extracting research metadata on a technical level
Proven research record in the topics of the department, preferably Knowledge Graphs and/or Information Extraction
Excellent English skills are a must, German language skills are a plus

Our Benefits:

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 contact person via E-Mail (brigitte.mathiak@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 September 14, 2026.
Our reference number is: KTS-84

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.