Senior Scientist Austrian History

Senior Scientist Austrian History

At the University of Vienna more than 10,000 personalities work together towards answering the big questions of the future. Around 7,500 of them do research and teaching, around 2,900 work in administration and organisation. We are looking for a Senior Scientist Austrian History at the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies.

Job vacancy starting: 01.11.2026. Working hours: 40.00. Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 lit. b (postdoc). Job ID: 5947.

The Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Vienna is seeking to fill a Senior Scientist position (m/f/d) in Austrian history.

Your personal sphere of play:

You hold a PhD in modern history with a specialization in the Habsburg Monarchy or Austrian history and, ideally, several years of postdoctoral experience. Your publications show that you contribute actively and innovatively to current conversations. You read the sources in more than one language of the former Monarchy and navigate its administrative history and archival landscape with confidence.

At the heart of the position is a project you will lead from idea to implementation. We are looking for a plan that combines substantive historical questions with robust digital methods for discovery, processing, and access, whether that means text recognition and modeling, data curation and standards, mapping and visualization, or sustainable repositories and interfaces. You will find close partners in the Faculty's Digital Humanities research cluster and among Vienna's archives and libraries.

The position is to be filled as of November 1, 2026, and is a fixed-term position through October 31, 2027, with the option of conversion to a permanent position.

Your future tasks:

Teaching is an integral part of the role. You will offer independent courses within the BA, teacher-training and MA programmes in History, with a particular commitment to the MA in Auxiliary Historical Sciences and Archival Studies. You will supervise theses, help develop curricula, and contribute to a lively academic community that includes colloquia, workshops, and visiting fellows.

As a member of the Institute, you will share in academic citizenship: participation in university self-governance; co-organizing the Central European History Convention; and contributing to publication platforms. We welcome colleagues who will write for and help edit the online yearbook Administory and support the editorial work of the Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung and its associated series.

This is part of your profile:

To thrive in this role, you bring your research interests in the field of 19th and 20th century Austrian history, several years of relevant university teaching, a track record or clear potential in acquiring and managing third-party funding, and an openness to digital technologies as they serve historical questions. You work well in teams, communicate across disciplinary and institutional boundaries, and can steward a project from design to delivery.

What we offer:

We offer a collegial, international environment with excellent research facilities; flexible working hours and the option to work from home under current university regulations; strong public transport connections; and comprehensive in-house training and coaching. The position is fixed-term with a gross monthly salary of EUR 5,014.30, paid 14 times per year for Senior Scientists/Postdocs, with increases according to recognized professional experience.

It is that easy to apply:

Please apply via the University of Vienna jobs portal with:

• a cover letter
• an academic CV including publications, teaching experience, and conference activity
• a statement of research interests
• a 2-3 page outline of the proposed mass-source digital project including questions, methods, partners, and funding strategy
• contact details for potential referees

For questions regarding the content, please contact Peter Becker at peter.becker@univie.ac.at.

Application deadline: 18.09.2026