At the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institut (HBI) in Hamburg the following position is available as of May 1, 2026: Research Assistant /PhD candidate (m/f/d) in the field of Computational Social Science
Fixed-term until March 31, 2029, subject to the approval of third-party funding | Full-time | Pay grade 13 TV-L | Location: Hamburg
The internationally renowned Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institut in Hamburg conducts high-level scientific research into media change and the associated structural changes in public communication. Cross-media, interdisciplinary, and independent, it combines basic science and transfer research, thus creating problem-relevant knowledge for politics, business, and civil society. The institute is characterized by a unique and fruitful combination of social science communication studies and legal regulatory research, as well as the increased involvement of computer science.
Together with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), the HBI will carry out the project “Systematic Observation of New Auditory Risks” (SONAR) starting in May 2026. The joint project will conduct fundamental research into the structure of online audio media offerings, particularly podcasts and longer discussion formats, and develop methods for identifying explicit and implicit narratives of misinformation, disinformation, and manipulation strategies in audio formats. Methodologically, SONAR combines qualitative media analysis with scaled, computer-assisted evaluation. The advertised position is assigned to the SONAR project, which is based at the Media Research Methods Lab (MRML) of the HBI. We are looking for a research assistant to implement the technical infrastructure of the project and to subsequently collect and evaluate data. The project team includes two other research assistants. In addition, there are opportunities for collaboration with other MRML projects, such as the Social Media Observatory.
Your tasks
- processing work packages for the BMFTR-funded SONAR project
- participation in the design and development of the technical infrastructure for data collection and analysis
- contributing to the development of methods for researching auditory content
- contributing to the answering of content-related/social science questions in interdisciplinary teams
- preparing research results for scientific publications and presentations
Your profile
- completed master’s degree, preferably in computer science, data science, computational social science, or digital humanities; if you have a degree in another discipline, proven knowledge in the field of computer science is required
- knowledge of the application and development of CSS methods, for example:
- natural language processing and large (vision) language models
- multimodal media content analysis
- evaluation of tracking/digital trace data
- programming experience, preferably in Python or R
- knowledge of working with databases
- knowledge of command line interfaces (CLI) and cloud computing technologies (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) is also desirable
- willingness to write scientific publications
- fluency in spoken and written German and English
- independence, creativity, sense of responsibility
- curiosity to explore the ever-changing social media landscape and willingness to face the challenges of rapid technological development
Our offer
- the opportunity to pursue a doctorate as part of an experienced team of CSS researchers at a large, interdisciplinary research institute
- the opportunity to conduct research using current social media data and state-of-the-art technologies
- an informal culture and flat hierarchies in a living alternative to traditional academic life
- flexible working hours with the option of hybrid working in consultation with the team
- employment with an attractive and family-friendly employer, certified by the “audit berufundfamilie”
- parent-child office
- a secure job in the public sector and remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector of the federal states (TV-L), annual bonus
- capital-forming benefits and company pension scheme (VBLU)
- employer subsidy for the HVV Profiticket as a Germany ticket
- 30 days of vacation per year, plus Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve off
- a modern office workplace at our new institute location in Hamburg-Rotherbaum with excellent public transport connections
- bicycle parking spaces in our underground garage with charging cabinet for e-bike batteries
- 2 outdoor parking spaces with e-charging station
Contact
Gregor Wiedemann (g.wiedemann@leibniz-hbi.de) will be happy to answer any project-related questions you may have. Please direct any procedural questions to our Human Resources department (personal@leibniz-hbi.de).
Your application
Have we sparked your interest? Then please send your application by March 15, 2026, quoting reference number “PB1-26-04” to: bewerbung@leibniz-hbi.de . Please attach your application documents as separate PDF files.
We are looking forward to your application!
Your qualifications and strengths are what matter to us. That is why we welcome applications from people regardless of their cultural and social background, gender or sexual identity, nationality, age, religion, ideology, or any disability. Professional equality between women and men in accordance with the Federal Equality Act is important to us. Severely disabled people will be given special consideration in accordance with SGB IX if they are equally qualified.
Please note the data protection notice that your application documents will be processed and stored by us for the purpose of filling the position.