Postdoctoral Researcher in geocoded electoral data (SDC-34)

About This Opportunity

We are representing a leading social science research institute in Germany that is building cutting-edge infrastructure for geocoded electoral data. Our client is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join their survey data curation team in Cologne for a three-year position starting January 2027.

This role offers the chance to lead the development of spatial data infrastructure that will advance democracy research across Europe. You will work with long-running national and international survey programs, creating tools and frameworks that make electoral data more findable, accessible, and reusable for the research community.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of data curation, validation, and spatial aggregation tools for geocoded electoral data using R
• Establish frameworks clarifying legal, ethical, and licensing conditions for data provision and reuse
• Support principal investigators in coordinating project workflows and managing project knowledge
• Create user documentation, training materials, and public interfaces for the data infrastructure
• Conduct methodological or applied research demonstrating the added value of the infrastructure

What We're Looking For

• Completed PhD in political science, quantitative social science, spatial data science, or related discipline
• Advanced expertise in longitudinal and spatial data integration, provenance documentation, and reproducible workflows
• Proficiency in coding and managing spatial datasets in R, with experience in version control and data curation standards
• Demonstrated track record of contributing to empirical research and generating scientific innovation with data infrastructure
• Excellent English language skills

How We Work With You

When you apply through Get A Job.ai, our talent team will conduct an initial screening to understand your background and qualifications. We will then present qualified candidates to our client for consideration. Please do not contact the client organization directly, as all applications must be submitted through our platform to be considered.

The position offers flexible working hours, mobile working options, childcare subsidies, pension support, health management programs, and professional development opportunities. This is a full-time, three-year limited contract based in Cologne, Germany.

Pay

Compensation follows the TV-L salary scale at grade 13 (100% working time) and will be discussed during the screening process based on your experience and qualifications.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiter. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.