The Institute of Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Education seeks to fill the following position:

Research Associate (all genders)

Job vacancy from 02.03.2026 · Reference number 30/2026

Remuneration

Salary group 13 TV-L

Term

3 years

Volume

75% of full-time employment

Start date

At the earliest opportunity (1 July 2026 at the latest)

Founded in 1409, Leipzig University is one of Germany’s largest universities and a leader in research and medical training. With around 30,000 students and more than 5000 members of staff across 14 faculties, it is at the heart of the vibrant and outward-looking city of Leipzig. Leipzig University offers an innovative and international working environment as well as an exciting range of career opportunities in research, teaching, knowledge and technology transfer, infrastructure and administration.

The position is based in the research group Development of Social Behaviour in Childhood: Cooperative and Prosocial Behaviour (Junior Professor Sebastian Grüneisen). The junior professorship examines the psychological origins of cooperative behaviour. The advertised position will be part of a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) investigating the development of trust and trust responsiveness. In this context, the successful candidate will conduct and oversee experimental behavioural studies with preschool and early school-age children. The project aims to generate new insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying trust-based cooperation, how children become receptive to others’ trust, and the social consequences of this developmental process.
The research team will work in English or German, while communication within Leipzig University and interaction with children and their parents in the context of the studies will predominantly be conducted in German.

The role

Pursuit of an individual academic qualification, in particular a doctoral degree (PhD)
Design and development of study protocols for multiple research projects addressing questions in social-cognitive development, with a focus on cooperation and trust
Implementation and coordination of studies, including behavioural experiments with child participants
Data management and (statistical) analysis of collected data, and preparation of manuscripts for publication primarily in international peer-reviewed journals
Presentation of research findings in colloquia and at national and international scientific conferences.

About you

University degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in psychology or a closely related and relevant field (e.g. education, biology or anthropology) by the start date
Excellent knowledge of experimental research design and statistical methods
Interest in pursuing a doctoral degree (PhD) in the relevant research area
Good command of German for conducting studies with children and communicating with their parents
Excellent communication and teamwork skills
Experience in experimental research (desirable)
Experience working with preschool and early school-age children is desirable, as are sensitivity and empathy when working with children and their parents
Very good written and spoken English
Experience with statistical software (e.g. R) would be an asset
Theoretical and methodological expertise in the areas of cooperation, development of social cognition, moral development or behavioural economics (desirable).

What we offer you

a responsible role in the exciting environment of a large university
working in a friendly, helpful, and high-performing team
flexible working hours and mobile working for a better work-life balance
Opportunities for further training and professional development as part of a structured staff development programme
diverse range of corporate health management
Remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the states, including annual bonus and company pension plan
excellent transport links and the option to purchase a discounted public transport ticket, such as the Deutschlandticket as a commuter pass
extensive catering in the cafeterias and cafés of the Leipzig Student Services Association

Leipzig University aims to increase the proportion of women in positions of responsibility and therefore expressly invites qualified women to apply. Severely disabled persons – or persons deemed legally equal to them under Book IX of the German Social Code – are encouraged to apply and will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. If you have any questions about accessibility or need assistance with this application process, please contact Leipzig University’s disability officers at: schwerbehindertenvertretung@uni-leipzig.de.

Have we sparked your interest?

Please send your application including a cover letter in English, a CV, copies of certificates, a writing sample (e.g. your master’s thesis or coursework, preferably in English), and two letters of reference/recommendation quoting reference number 30/2026 to**:** Leipzig University, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dean Professor Henrik Saalbach, Marschnerstraße 31, 04105 Leipzig by 30 March 2026. You are also welcome to email your application as a single PDF file to bewerbung.erzwiss@uni-leipzig.de.

Please note that it is not possible to guarantee confidentiality and rule out unauthorised access by third parties when communicating by unencrypted email. We kindly request that you submit copies only, as we are unable to return application documents. Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

Privacy information

If you choose to apply and send us your documents, you do so voluntarily. Any personal data contained within your application documents, or obtained during an interview, will be processed by Leipzig University – as the advertiser of the position – exclusively for the purposes of the selection process for the position advertised. It will not be passed on to third parties without your consent in the individual case. The legal basis for such data processing is Sect. 11(1) of the Saxon Data Protection Implementation Act (SächsDSDG) in conjunction with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The controller for the application process within the meaning of the GDPR is the addressee of the application, specified in the advertisement.

Your personal data will be stored for six months after the end of the recruitment process and then erased or destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations. You may refuse or withdraw your consent with effect for the future without giving reasons. In these cases, Leipzig University will not or no longer be able to process and consider your application. Under the GDPR, subject to the relevant statutory requirements you have the following rights vis-à-vis the addressee of the application with regard to your personal data: right of access (Art. 15 GDPR); right to rectification of inaccurate personal data (Art. 16 GDPR); right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR); right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR); and right to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR). If you have any questions, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Leipzig University (office: Augustusplatz 10, 04109 Leipzig). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Saxon Commissioner for Data Protection.