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The Department of Communication in the Faculty of Education and Social Science at the University of Münster, Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Wissenschaftliche*r Mitarbeiter*in, salary level E 13 TV-L)

for the interdisciplinary research project “Conflict, Religion, Institution,” funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). We are offering a full-time position (100% FTE) on a four-year fixed-term contract, commencing on 1 October 2026.

Your tasks:

You will work within a collaborative research project that examines, through the study of organizations and public communication, how religious pluralization, secularization, and, where applicable, religious ideological radicalization develop. The present subproject is particularly aimed at identifying the ideological positioning of different groups of actors on online platforms, including both established religious institutions and spiritual fringe groups. The advertised position in the subproject led by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Quandt focuses on empirical communication research. In particular, content on online platforms is examined using computational methods and subsequently analyzed further with regard to its production and reception.

Your tasks will include:

• Contribute to the development of methods for the computational analysis of content on online platforms
• Contribute to the development of data pipelines for collecting image and video data from online platforms
• Conduct content analyses of social media data
• Contribute to conducting semi-structured interviews and experimental studies on the effects of religious-ideological content
• Present research findings at national and international conferences
• Publish research findings in international peer-reviewed journals, primarily in English Our expectations:

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• A PhD am Master’s Degree in Communication Science or a related social science discipline awarded with at least ‘magna cum laude’ or an equivalent distinction
• Demonstrated interest in the above research area and the development of social science research methods
• Proven expertise in social media research
• Strong background in empirical research methods
• Advanced knowledge of computational methods, particularly in computational content analysis Excellent written and spoken English
• Strong teamwork, communication, and organizational skills, as well as the ability to work independently
• Due to the collaborative nature of the project and the research team, regular on-site presence in Münster is required Advantages for you:

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• The opportunity to work in a large, research-intensive team in the field of Communication Science and gain experience in a collaborative interdisciplinary research project
• Individual mentoring and opportunities for further training and professional development
• The opportunity to participate in international conferences and benefit from the group’s extensive network of academic collaborations. International mobility is actively supported and strongly encouraged.
• A working environment characterized by appreciation, reliability, openness and mutual respect The University of Münster strongly supports equal opportunity and diversity. We welcome all applicants regardless of sex, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to creating family-friendly working conditions. Part-time options are generally available.

We actively encourage applications by women. Women with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered unless these are outweighed by reasons which necessitate the selection of another candidate.

If you have any questions, please contact Prof Thorsten Quandt (thorsten.quandt@uni-muenster.de).

Are you interested? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 2026-08-21 via email at:

University of Muenster

Department of Communication

Prof Thorsten Quandt

Reference number: Online Religion

kommunikationswissenschaft@uni-muenster.de

Your application can only be considered if submitted as a PDF file. Please note that we are unable to accept any other file formats.

Reference number: 2026_07_61