Postdoctoral Researcher in geocoded electoral data (SDC-34)

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 January 1, 2027, our Department Survey Data Curation, Team Survey Data Augmentation, located in Cologne, is looking for a

Postdoctoral Researcher in geocoded electoral data
(Salary group 13 TV-L, working time 100 %, limited to 3 years)

The department „Survey Data Curation“ processes and prepares social science research data across a diverse range of data types to support sociological and political science research, especially in comparative perspectives across space and time. The curated data include long-running national (e.g., ALLBUS, GLES) and international (e.g., ISSP, CSES) survey programs, which are documented and curated to the highest quality standards, but also research data products derived from or connected to these surveys, such as geo referencing services or trend files. “Electoral Spaces” is a project of our team Survey Data Augmentation that develops a research data infrastructure for making geocoded electoral data more findable, accessible, interoperable, and re-usable.

Your tasks will be:

Leading the development of data curation, validation, and spatial aggregation tools for geocoded electoral data using the statistical software R
Establishing a framework clarifying legal, ethical, and licensing conditions for data provision and reuse
Supporting the principal investigators in coordinating the overall project and managing workflows and project knowledge
Creating user documentation, training materials, and public interfaces for the infrastructure
Conducting methodological or applied research showcasing the added value of the infrastructure

Your profile:

Completed academic university degree (Master’s or equivalent) and completed PhD in political science, quantitative social science, spatial data science, or a related discipline
Advanced expertise in longitudinal and spatial data integration, provenance documentation, and reproducible workflows
Proficiency in coding and managing spatial datasets in R, with experience in version control and data curation standards
Track record of contributing to empirical research and generating scientific innovation with data infrastructure
Excellent English language skills

Our Benefits:

Opportunity to contribute to a research data infrastructure with substantial impact on the future of democracy research
Work in an integrated yet flexible team of quantitative social scientists with substantial synergies between survey augmentation projects specializing in geospatial data applications and democracy
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 Sebastian Ziaja via E-Mail (sebastian.ziaja@gesis.org). If you have questions about the application process, please contact Christine Laßmann via E-Mail (christine.lassmann@gesis.org).

Interested?

Please apply by submitting a motivation letter, a CV, and a writing sample via our online-application portal until October 2, 2026.
Our reference number is: SDC-34

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.