Zeppelin Universität (ZU) in Friedrichshafen on the Lake of Constance is a state-recognized, private university with BA, MA and doctoral programs in the fields of business, culture and politics. It is committed to interdisciplinarity, internationality and individuality in research and teaching.
We are currently looking to fill the following part-time position (65%), for three years at the Chair of European Politics (Prof. Dr. Steffen Hurka) by 1 October 2026:
Doctoral Researcher (m/f/x) in Political Science (65%) I ERC Project DEMOLAW
The doctoral researcher will be part of the project DEMOLAW (The design, creation and survival of democratic laws), funded by the European Research Council (ERC). DEMOLAW analyses legislative texts in three different political systems (US, UK, EU) with computational methods to answer three major research questions: (1) Which conceptual dimensions capture the design of a law and how can we exploit textual properties of law texts to measure these dimensions empirically? (2) Why does the design of democratic legislation vary across laws, policy domains and political systems? (3) How can we explain why some laws are entirely stable over time, while others are constantly adjusted and sometimes transformed fundamentally?
The project makes three major contributions. First, it provides a novel conceptual perspective on the design of democratic laws by focusing on two analytical dimensions that are central to any piece of legislation: versatility and precision. This innovative approach allows us to measure and compare the substance of legislative output across and within policy domains, political systems and over time. Second, the project will develop and test an integrated theoretical framework on both the creation and the survival of democratic legislation. Finally, the project’s methodological approach will pave the way for a computational analysis of legislative content and will push the boundaries of how we study democratic decision-making.
Your tasks
- Contribute to the data collection and the conceptual and theoretical development of a large-scale research project
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Publishing research results in top-tier international journals
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Presenting research findings at international conferences
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Participating in the regular meetings of the members of the research project
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No teaching obligation, but opportunity to teach
Your profile
- An excellent master’s degree in political science, public administration, law or data science
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A keen interest in matters of comparative public policy and legislative politics
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A mindset prioritizing empirical-analytical, theory-driven and methodologically rigorous research (quantitative or qualitative)
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Problem-solving and analytical skills, along with a high degree of self-motivation and self-organization
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An international orientation and very good English language skills. Knowledge of the German language is an advantage, but not required
What we offer
We offer you a varied and challenging job in an innovative working and learning environment with currently more than 200 exceptional and dedicated colleagues as well as 700 students, thirsty for knowledge. You will be paid a competitive salary commensurate with a TV-L 13 position of 65% and you will be given the opportunity to develop a dissertation within the scope of the DEMOLAW project, receive high-quality mentoring for your academic career and make an impact on political science in the context of a large-scale, ERC-funded research project.
Additional benefits:
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Funding available for participation in international conferences
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Support for skill development through the opportunity to attend summer schools or other training programs
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Work and live in of the most beautiful natural surroundings of Germany, right next to the Lake of Constance
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Flexible working hours for better work-life balance
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Support for company pension plans
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Participation in the company fitness program Wellpass
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“Deutschlandticket” (train ticket valid everywhere in Germany) as job ticket, subsidized by the university
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Nursery subsidies
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JobRad (bicycle leasing program)
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Corporate Benefits program
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Company outings, Christmas parties, summer festivals
Zeppelin Universität is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants with disabilities will be given priority. Zeppelin Universität supports the compatibility of family and work and promotes gender equality.
Are you Interested? Please send your detailed application documents (cover letter, CV, educational certificates and a draft research proposal of your PhD project of 2-3 pages) to Ute Aisenpreis (HR Management) until 12 July 2026, including your earliest availability via the application management system softgarden (application link).
For any specific questions regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Hurka at : [email protected].
