PhD Position in Sociology (University of Bern)

Institution: Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Switzerland Start Date: January 2026 or by agreement Duration: Up to 4 years Project Focus: Part of a Starting Grant project examining how career paths are shaped by gender, ethnicity, and social background. Key Responsibilities Conduct research on labor market inequalities related to gender, ethnicity, and social background. Assist with setup of linked employer-employee datasets; support data collection (choice experiments, text analysis, interviews). Contribute to publication-based PhD thesis through regular discussions with peers and mentors. No teaching commitments; optional involvement in BA/MA programs. Qualifications Master’s degree (or final semester) in sociology or related fields (economics, organizational psychology) Strong quantitative skills (R, Stata, Python); familiarity with large datasets, experiments, text analysis, or qualitative methods is a plus Interest in interdisciplinary research Proficiency in English; knowledge of a Swiss official language is advantageous Independent, self-motivated, with strong problem-solving and communication skills Benefits Participation in an interdisciplinary research project (collaboration with economics, psychology, data science) Close mentorship and structured PhD training Salary according to SNSF regulations 5 weeks of paid vacation per year Flexible working hours and potential for partial remote work Application Instructions Submit motivation letter, CV, transcript of records, and writing sample (seminar paper or thesis) Include names and contact details of two references Submit as a single PDF Review of applications started November 21, 2025 and continues until filled Contact for questions: Prof. Dr. Benita Combet – benita.combet@unibe.ch If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Academicoxy

Institution: Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Switzerland
Start Date: January 2026 or by agreement
Duration: Up to 4 years

Project Focus:

Part of a Starting Grant project examining how career paths are shaped by gender, ethnicity, and social background.

Key Responsibilities

Conduct research on labor market inequalities related to gender, ethnicity, and social background.
Assist with setup of linked employer-employee datasets; support data collection (choice experiments, text analysis, interviews).
Contribute to publication-based PhD thesis through regular discussions with peers and mentors.
No teaching commitments; optional involvement in BA/MA programs.

Qualifications

Master’s degree (or final semester) in sociology or related fields (economics, organizational psychology)
Strong quantitative skills (R, Stata, Python); familiarity with large datasets, experiments, text analysis, or qualitative methods is a plus
Interest in interdisciplinary research
Proficiency in English; knowledge of a Swiss official language is advantageous
Independent, self-motivated, with strong problem-solving and communication skills

Benefits

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

Application Instructions

Submit motivation letter, CV, transcript of records, and writing sample (seminar paper or thesis)
Include names and contact details of two references
Submit as a single PDF
Review of applications started November 21, 2025 and continues until filled