The Chair of Empirical Democratic Theory (Jun.-Prof. Dr. Chitralekha Basu) is looking for a
Research Assistant
The working hours are 35 hours per month (8 hours per week) for 12 months, to start at the earliest possible date.
The research assistant will support a project on political representation and candidate selection processes in the UK and Germany. One main task will be to complete a new database on the social characteristics of electoral candidates in these countries.
Tasks:
• Collect, preprocess and manage political science data
• Perform basic statistical analyses
• Assist with literature surveys
Prerequisites:
• MA student in social/political science or a closely related field
• Motivation, commitment, and ability to work independently
• Basic statistical training and experience with Excel
• Experience with data management in R
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Excellent grades
Benefits:
• Pay according to standards of the UoC for research assistants: €16,20 per hour for students with a BA degree (€16,90 per hour from 1 April 2027)
• Chance to gain first-hand experience in current research projects
• Opportunity to improve data management and statistical skills
Application:
Please submit your application in English (letter of motivation, CV, grade transcript, and possibly additional evidence of qualifications) as a single PDF file to basu@wiso.uni-koeln.de.
The application deadline is 15 September 2026. Interviews will be scheduled in late September.