Senior Researcher and Co-Manager of the TREE Study 80-100%

Transitions from Education to Employment (TREE) is an interdisciplinary multi-user, multi-cohort panel survey of presently two large cohorts of Swiss school leavers who have left compulsory school in the years 2000 and 2016 respectively. TREE follows up on the cohorts' educational and labour market trajectories. To date, the first cohort has been re-surveyed ten times over a period of 20 years and has reached average age 40. The second cohort has been re-surveyed seven times and reached average age 24. Both surveys are ongoing. Apart from detailed episodic data on the trajectories, the data include measures on cognitive and non-cognitive skills at the end of compulsory education, as well as comprehensive longitudinal context data of the respondents. TREE is mainly funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation as national data infrastructure.
We are presently looking for a Senior Researcher and Co-Manager of the TREE Study (80-100%) as of January 1, 2025 or by agreement.

Senior Researcher and Co-Manager of the TREE Study

• Operational co-management of the study.
• Overall responsibility for and supervision of data collection, processing, and distribution (survey-data lifecycle).
• Development and management of innovation processes (e.g., in the context of the launch of a 3rd TREE cohort).
• Coordination and realization of scientific analyses based on the TREE data.
• Communication, marketing, and negotiation with various target groups and stakeholders (respondents, funding institutions, scientific community, data users, policy makers, practitioners, etc.).
• Networking activities to promote national and international research cooperations.

• PhD (or similar competence level) in social sciences, preferably in one of the core disciplines addressed by the TREE study (sociology, economics, psychology, educational sciences, political sciences).
• Solid experience in scientific research, project management, and acquisition of third-party funding.
• Expertise in survey methodology and data analysis, ideally with large-scale panel data.
• Excellent leadership, teamwork, networking, and communication skills.
• Willingness to work in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• Excellent proficiency in (scientific) English and fluency in at least one national language.

• Collaboration in a large, unique, and innovative panel study embedded in excellent scientific networks, both nationally and internationally.
• Proficient, experienced and supportive scientific team.
• Salary in line with University of Bern regulations.
• Opportunity of study-related teaching activities (to be negotiated).
• Job location in Bern, Switzerland, one of the world's cities with the highest quality of life.

For further information contact Sandra Hupka-Brunner (E-Mail schreiben), co-manager of TREE, or Ben Jann (E-Mail schreiben), principal investigator of TREE.