Senior Scientist Austrian History Universität Wien

Job description:

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/an

Senior Scientist Austrian History

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.

Among the many reasons to research and teach at the University of Vienna there is one in particular, which has convinced around 7,500 academic staff members so far. They see themselves as personalities who need space for continuous striving for top international research and scientific excellence. At the same time they enjoy support and liberties that are not a given at other institutions. Does that sound like something for you? Welcome to our team!

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. You are thinking ambitiously about scale: how to turn a mass source—court records, the periodical press, legislative materials, or similar—into a researchable corpus that reframes questions and opens the field to new participants.
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 Institute will support you in building the consortium, securing external funding, and embedding your work in the Institute’s long‑term agenda. Through your networks and the visibility of your research and digitization work, you will help position the IÖG as a hub in transnational research on the Habsburg Monarchy and its successor states.

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 (LA), and MA programmes in History, with a particular commitment to the MA in Auxiliary Historical Sciences and Archival Studies. We value teaching that connects source work and method, and that introduces students to digital tools without losing sight of paleography, diplomatics, and the craft skills that define our profession. 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 our 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, bringing high standards and new audiences to our outlets.

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. The University of Vienna is committed to equal opportunity and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates.

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 (questions, methods, partners, and funding strategy)
• Please also provide contact details for potential referees.
  -    Contact information for potential references 
  via our job portal / “Apply Now” button

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

If you have any content questions, please contact:

Peter Becker

peter.becker@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! 
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

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Application deadline: 09/18/2026

Apply now