Postdoctoral Researcher (Quantitative) – Refugees’ (Im)Mobilities & Political Agency, SB26-0009 University for Continuing Education Krems in Austria

The University for Continuing Education Krems, located in Austria’s UNESCO World Heritage region of Wachau, is seeking a quantitative postdoctoral researcher for the Department for Migration and Globalisation at the Faculty of Business and Globalisation. This full-time position (40 hrs/week) is part of two major projects led by Assistant Professor Lea Müller-Funk: RESTATE (Refugees’ Political Participation and State-(Re)Making in Displacement, 2025-2030) and SYREALITY (Syrian Imaginations of Europe meet Reality, 2022-2027).

RESTATE investigates how refugees perceive and engage with the state during their displacement journeys, focusing on their roles as political actors. The project aims to provide a dynamic understanding of refugees’ experiences, discern forms of state violence that erode trust, theorise conditions for political participation, and explore implications for state-making in both origin and host countries. Using a comparative mixed-methods and multi-sited approach, RESTATE studies displacement from Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Syria in Iran, Turkey, Uganda, and Germany. The research team includes the PI, two postdoctoral researchers, a PhD researcher, a project manager, and local research assistants.

The quantitative postdoctoral researcher will co-lead quantitative data collection with the PI, lead the South Sudan case study, develop survey questionnaires, train and supervise enumerators, and analyse survey data. The role also involves contributing to the SYREALITY project, which examines how life aspirations influence migration decision-making among Syrians settled in four European cities since 2011, and how war, displacement, and reception contexts impact their aspirations and well-being.

Key responsibilities include co-authoring papers based on survey data, contributing to conceptual frameworks, ethics, and data management, planning and conducting surveys in Adjumani, Istanbul, and Berlin, leading data analysis, authoring journal articles, participating in team meetings, organizing events and workshops, presenting research at international conferences, engaging in international collaboration, and preparing proposals for third-party funding.

Applicants must hold a Doctorate/PhD in Political Science, Geography, Sociology, or related fields (migration studies), preferably with distinction by 30 June 2026. Essential skills include advanced quantitative methods, survey design, analytical and writing skills, publication record in international journals, advanced English (C1), and strong interpersonal and organizational abilities. Desirable qualifications include prior research on political participation, (im)mobilities, migrant agency, mixed methods experience, qualitative methods knowledge, research in the Global South, familiarity with East Africa/South Sudan, and language skills in Dinka, Nuer, or other relevant languages.

The position offers a gross monthly salary of EUR 5,014.30, plus 13th and 14th monthly salaries (Christmas and vacation bonuses), 25 vacation days per year, home office options (up to 42% of working hours), commuting allowance, extensive training opportunities, company health promotion programs, and access to the University Sports Institute (USI). The contract is initially limited to three years, with possible extension depending on funding. The department is highly successful in acquiring third-party funding, providing opportunities for research collaboration and proposal development.

The University for Continuing Education Krems is committed to diversity and explicitly invites applications from people with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses who meet the required profile. Applications must be submitted online by 13 May 2026, including a CV, motivation letter, writing sample, and contact information for two referees. Interviews will be held online in early June 2026, with a second round for shortlisted candidates.

This is an excellent opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher with strong quantitative skills and a passion for migration studies, political agency, and interdisciplinary research to join a dynamic and innovative academic environment.