PhD Position in Sociology full time

Institute of Sociology, University of Bern
Start of employment: January 2026 or by agreement
Duration: Up to 4 years
The Institute of Sociology (IfS) at the University of Bern invites applications for a doctoral position (PhD candidate, full time), starting on January 1 or by mutual agreement. The position is part of a Starting Grant project exploring how career paths are shaped by gender, ethnicity, and social background.

• Participation in the above-mentioned research project: Conduct research on career evelopment inequalities related to gender, ethnicity, and social background.
• Assist in the setup of a linked employer-employee dataset and support data collection methods, including choice experiments, text analysis, and interviews.
• Engage in regular discussions with peers and mentors, contributing to a publication-based PhD thesis.
• There are no teaching commitments, but opportunities to participate in BA/MA programs are available.

• Master's degree (or final semester) in sociology or related field (e.g., economics, organizational psychology) with a strong interest in labor market inequalities.
• Strong quantitative skills with proficiency in R, Stata, or Python; familiarity with large-scale datasets, experiments, text analysis, or qualitative methods is a plus.
• Interest in interdisciplinary research.
• Proficiency in English; knowledge of a Swiss official language is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently, self-motivated, with strong problem-solving and communication skills.

• Participation in an exciting research project with opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration (economics, psychology, data science).
• Close mentorship and structured PhD training.
• Salary according to SNSF regulations and 5 weeks of paid holiday per year.
• Flexible working hours and the possibility of partial remote work.

For subject-specific questions and information about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Benita Combet (E-Mail schreiben)

For your application, please submit a motivation letter, CV, transcript of records, and a writing sample (e.g., seminar paper or thesis). In addition, please include the names and contact details of two references. Submit your complete application as a single PDF.

Review of applications will start on Friday November 21th 2025 and will continue until the position is filled.