Job advertisement

Vacancy ID: 118/2026
Closing date: 2026-06-11

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation-driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile areas Light – Life – Liberty, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments. With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

The Cluster of Excellence “Imaginamics: Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining” is offering three full-time (100% / 40 hours per week) positions as

PostDoc

to support exploratory research projects to commence on 01.10.2026 for a fixed term expiring on 30.09.2028.

The Cluster of Excellence “Imaginamics” is an interdisciplinary research project of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena that conducts research on the practices and dynamics of social imagining. Funded by the German Excellence Strategy, it brings together scholars from multiple departments. The Cluster’s work distinguishes itself from extant research on social imaginaries by focusing on processes, practices, and dynamics of social imagining. For more information, see .

The funding for exploratory research is aimed at postdoctoral researchers who have completed their PhD within the last 12 months. This programme offers outstanding postdoctoral researchers two years of funding to support them in Jena as they prepare a postdoc project and, more broadly, in their career development. The programme is aimed in particular at international researchers.

Your responsibilities:

• You will carry out a research project on-site at the Cluster in collaboration with the Cluster’s members and cooperation partners.
• You will develop your research proposal into a grant-ready research project and complete an application by the end of the funding period in order to continue the research.
• You will plan and organise an academic event related to the research topic.
• You will actively participate in the intellectual life of the cluster.
• You will present your research at national and international scientific conferences and workshops.
• You will publish initial research results (at least one peer-reviewed paper).

Your profile:

• You hold an excellent PhD in the humanities or social sciences, obtained no more than 12 months prior to the date of application.
• You have spent a significant portion of your undergraduate and doctoral studies in another European or non-European country.
• You hold a PhD in one of the disciplines represented in the cluster or in a related field.
• Your postdoctoral project ties in with and complements the cluster’s research areas.
• You are able to communicate academically in English and are willing to acquire a basic knowledge of German.
• Regular attendance in Jena and active participation in research seminars and working groups are required.

We offer:

• Remuneration based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV-L) at salary scale 13 — depending on the candidate’s personal qualifications—, including a special annual payment in accordance with the collective agreement.
• Postdoctoral researchers will be admitted to the ‘Imaginamics’ Research School and will benefit from all the training and professional development opportunities offered by the graduate school. You will gain in-depth insight into the cluster’s interdisciplinary research activities and receive support for your individual development and training needs.
• During the two-year funding period, postdoctoral researchers may be supported to spend a semester at an institution of the cluster’s international cooperation partners.
• At the start of the funding period, you will be offered the opportunity for an individual introductory meeting. In the 18th month of the funding period, you can attend an evaluation and consultation meeting with the Research School’s management to discuss potential perspectives within the Cluster of Excellence.

In principle, the job is also suitable for part-time employment. The extent to which a part-time request can be granted, in particular with regard to the location and scope of the part-time work, will be assessed on the basis of the needs of the service.

The University of Jena has received multiple awards for its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and its family-friendly work environment. The university seeks to employ more women, first-generation college graduates, people with a history of migration, and people of eastern German background. Severely disabled applicants with equivalent qualifications will be given preferential consideration.

Please submit the standard application documents (cover letter, CV, certificates, diplomas) in a single, searchable PDF file. If your PhD certificate is not yet available, please provide a suitable provisional document and a statement from your supervisor. Please also attach a reading sample as a separate (searchable) PDF file (chapter, article, etc.) to your application, along with a description of your new project idea (max. 5 pages) in German or English. The completion of ongoing projects or the preparation of academic papers for publication are explicitly excluded from the funding programme for exploratory research projects and are therefore not eligible for funding.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please feel free to email us (quoting the registration number 118/2026 in the subject line) at lena.dallywater@uni-jena.de.
Are you eager to work for us? Then apply by 11.06.2026 using our online form.

For further information for applicants and the information on the collection of personal data, please refer to