Research Lead

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher to lead and shape its new research focus area, "Democratic Change and Knowledge". This is an exceptional opportunity to explore the urgent challenges facing democracy in the digital age, while taking a leadership role in defining and building a new interdisciplinary research area that combines academic excellence and societal impact.

• ## Your Role:
• You will shape, lead and supervise pioneering research on democracy and knowledge. This might entail questions about the role of disinformation, on (dis-)trust in science or the role of automation in democratic processes. The position offers a unique combination of academic freedom, interdisciplinary collaboration and practical impact, allowing you to contribute to both scholarly debates and societal transformation.
• ## Key Responsibilities
• Strategically develop and lead a new research focus, including building a research team, supervising interdisciplinary projects, and acquiring external funding, while establishing the focus in line with the HIIG research agenda and in close coordination with the institute's directors.
• Conduct independent, high-impact research and publish in leading peer-reviewed journals and on open-access repositories, as well as present research findings at academic conferences.
• Take on leadership roles in the governance of the institute, actively contributing to strategic decision-making in close coordination with the research directors and other research leads.
• Build and maintain networks and collaborations with national and international partners across academia, government, business, and civil society.
• Design and implement innovative formats for dialogue and knowledge exchange (e.g., research sprints, multi-stakeholder dialogues, policy sounding boards).
• Engage in science communication, presenting research findings to policymakers, civil society, media and the broader public.

• Completed PhD in political science, communication studies, sociology, law or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated research experience in democracy, digitalisation, AI, sociology of knowledge or disinformation, or related topics; ideally with established connections to relevant network partners and a marked interest in coordinating and maintaining international networks and a strong publication record in recognised academic journals.
• Proven project management and leadership skills, combined with strong initiative, excellent teamwork and organisational skills, and the ambition to take responsibility for the strategic development of the research focus area.
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and, ideally, in facilitating dialogue-oriented research formats.
• Pronounced interest in science communication and the idea of creating societal impact.
• Excellent command of English; willingness to acquire or further develop German language skills.
• Experience, networks or research perspectives from the Global South are highly valued.