About the opportunity
This predoctoral position is based within the Research Unit Technology and Innovation Management at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics. The successful candidate will contribute to the Bureaucracy Index project, which measures the volume and complexity of federal and EU legislation. The role involves building automated data pipelines, developing indicators for regulatory restrictiveness and network complexity, and analyzing how regulatory burdens interact with innovation metrics like patenting and R&D. The position is designed for a researcher aiming to complete a doctoral thesis within four years.
Salary and benefits
- Monthly salary based on the collective bargaining agreement (EUR 3,776.10 gross for full-time, adjusted for 30 hours)
- Four-year contract (initial 1.5-year term with automatic extension)
- Flexible working hours and partial remote work options
- Funding for conference travel and access to data/computing resources
- Access to over 600 free internal training courses and coaching
- Integration into an active research group supervised by Prof. Stefan Wagner
- Social insurance coverage
Who can apply?
- Completed Master's degree or Diploma in economics, management, data science, law, computational social science, or a closely related field by the start date
- Strong quantitative and data management skills
- Proficiency in R and/or Stata, and SQL
- Experience with web scraping and crawling
- Excellent written and spoken English (C1 level)
- Genuine interest in the intersection of law, economics, and innovation
Required documents
- Scientific curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation
- Master's degree certificate or Diploma
- Master's transcripts
- Optional: Links to GitHub profile or scraping/NLP projects
When to apply
- Application deadline: November 8, 2026
- Job start date: November 16, 2026
How to apply
- Prepare application documents according to the provided guidelines
- Submit the application via the University of Vienna job portal using the 'Apply now' button
Additional information
- The position involves 30 working hours per week
- The candidate is expected to finalize a dissertation agreement within 12-18 months
- Teaching responsibilities are included as per the collective bargaining agreement
- The University of Vienna emphasizes equal opportunities and expressly encourages women to apply
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Ideal for candidates with a strong technical background in data science who want to apply skills like R, SQL, and web scraping to social science and legal questions.
- Well-suited for researchers interested in the Bureaucracy Index and the tangible economic impacts of regulation on innovation.
- A great match for those seeking a structured PhD path with a clear 4-year timeline and integrated teaching experience.
What should you think carefully about?
- The role requires a high level of independence in building data pipelines and scraping legal texts, which may be challenging for those without prior technical experience.
- The contract is initially limited to 1.5 years, with the extension to 4 years being subject to a performance review within the first year.
- The position is part-time (30 hours per week), which is standard for PhD roles in Austria but requires balancing research, teaching, and administrative tasks.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This opportunity is an excellent fit for individuals aiming to earn a PhD while gaining professional experience in an academic setting. It provides a platform to develop high-level data science and natural language processing skills applied to a high-impact, publicly visible dataset. For those looking to build a career in academia or policy analysis, the combination of independent research, teaching, and international conference participation offers a comprehensive professional development path.
Our take
This position is highly recommended for data-oriented social scientists or economists ready to commit to a four-year doctoral journey in Vienna. It is less suitable for those seeking a purely research-focused role without teaching duties or those who prefer a full-time (40-hour) salary.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
Official-source verified
