Assistant Professor, tenure track (qualification agreement)

  • Vienna University of Economics and Business
  • Research, development, teaching
  • Fulltime
  • published till: 11.06.2025
You want to work in an academic environment involved in understanding contemporary challenges and shaping spatial and social-ecological transformations. At one of Europe’s largest and most modern business and economics universities. On a campus where quality of work is also quality of life. We are looking for support at the

Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformation (ISSET)
Fulltime, 40 hours/week
Starting March 01, 2026, and limited for 6 years

A qualification agreement can be concluded after a contract duration of two years (§ 27 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement). Pursuant to WU’s Personnel Development Plan, this position can only be fixed-term for up to six years. Once all objectives agreed upon in the qualification agreement have been fulfilled, the employment relationship can be made permanent. Employees who have successfully completed a qualification agreement are classified as associate professors. From an organizational regulation perspective they belong to the group of professors. Three years after successful completion of the qualification agreement, they are entitled to apply for promotion to full professor according to the By-Laws of WU § 43a.
 
We are looking for support at the Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET). ISSET is an inter- and transdisciplinary university institute that focuses on strongly theoretically grounded empirical analyses. Researchers at the institute endorse a broad understanding of economies as social-ecological provisioning systems and economics as a discipline that investigates the production, distribution, and consumption of infrastructures, services, and commodities that satisfy, primarily, human needs. It aims at understanding contemporary transformations with a focus on their spatial and social-ecological dimensions. Contemporary ecological (e.g., climate change and biodiversity loss), geopolitical and geoeconomic (e.g., rise of the Global South and militarization) and socio-political transformations (e.g., crises of liberal democracy, inequality and social cohesion) are always time-space specific. They shape and are shaped by context-sensitive forms of policies, multi-level governance, regulations, institutions, and discourses. ISSET explores innovative governance models for “transformation by design” by investigating democratic forms of multi-level planning that link top-down and bottom-up approaches.
 
This tenure track position will be allocated to the research unit “multi-level transformations”. The research focus of this research unit are power- and gender-sensitive analyses of multi-scalar structures and diverse forms of collective agency that reproduce and/or transform uneven dynamics of social-ecological provisioning, international relations, trade, finance, and biophysical systems. While the successful candidate will be open to multiple theoretical perspectives, we seek candidates with a background in international/global political economy or political ecology with a strong theoretical research profile on contemporary transformations and a strong empirical interest in uneven development, especially in countries of the Global South and the European periphery, and their entanglement with places and territories of the Global North.

What to expect

  • Coordinating and executing research in the evolving interdisciplinary field of “multi-level transformations” as leader of a research unit. The focus will be on team work and cooperation with related research fields at ISSET and the Department of Socioeconomics. Candidates will publish individually and jointly in international journals and apply for research grants. 
  • Teaching: Candidates are willing and capable to teach in the bachelor, master and PhD-programmes of the Department of Socioeconomics.
  • Student support: You will be available to answer students’ questions and act as an advisor for bachelor’s theses and as a co-advisor for master’s theses.
  • Organizational and administrative support: You will be part of an institute and a department that supports excellent research and teaching in understanding and shaping contemporary challenges. A project manager at ISSET will support you with third party funding applications and administration. 
  • Learning from top researchers: You will be working together with renowned researchers at ISSET and the Department of Socioeconomics who can support and mentor you (if requested).
  • Building up a new research unit and a personal network: You will be leading a new research unit, and establish yourself as a top researcher in the field, fulfilling your qualification agreement, and expand your own professional network.

What you have to offer

  • A degree in social sciences including economics or related scientific disciplines: You graduated with excellent grades from a doctoral degree program with a research focus in multi-level transformations. We welcome theoretically grounded work addressing one or, preferably, integrating several dimensions of multi-level transformations.
  • Experience in teaching in bachelor and master programmes, ideally in areas related to your research to complement the teaching obligations at the Department of Socioeconomics, especially in the bachelor study branch “Economy, Environment and Politics - WUPOL” and the master program “Socio-Ecological Economics and Politics – SEEP”.
  • Experience in research: You have published in well-ranked, international academic journals, have experience in scientific project management and in teamwork. You are committed to apply for research grants, organize and supervise research activities.
  • International experience: You have completed your PhD abroad, a university other than WU or spent at least two years of your post-doctoral academic career outside of Austria, have gained international experience during your degree program, your postdoctoral experience and/or can demonstrate international experience in a professional context (e.g. substantial involvement in international academic research communities/networks), speak excellent English and are committed to learn German.
  • Working style: You like to work in teams but also be able to work independently, show initiative, and have good self-organization and leadership skills. 
  • Building up scientific networks: You are able to use the position to establish an interdisciplinary research unit on “multi-level transformations” in cooperation with other research units at ISSET and with colleagues from the Department of Socioeconomics, and you are able to elaborate a proper research profile and expand your own professional network.
  • Willingness to use multimedia teaching methods: You are prepared to use multimedia teaching and learning formats.
 
Candidates have to submit a research statement where they highlight how their past and current research output contributes to important debates within and across their respective discipline(s), explain how they take their research forward and how their future research agenda contributes and advances research in the area of “Multi-Level Transformations” at ISSET at the Department of Socioeconomics. Candidates also have to submit a teaching statement on how they contribute to the teaching program(s) of the Department.
 
For details about the position, please contact ao.Univ.Prof. Dr. Andreas Novy (andreas.novy@wu.ac.at) or Univ.Prof. Dr. Jürgen Essletzbichler (juergen.essletzbichler@wu.ac.at).

What we offer you

  • Inspiring campus life with over 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and approximately 21,500 students
  • A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna
  • Excellent accessibility by public transportation
  • Meaningful work in an open-minded, inclusive, and family-friendly environment
  • Flexible working hours
  • A wide range of benefits, from an in-house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts
Curious? Visit our website and find out more at www.wu.ac.at/benefits.

The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to €4,932.90 (14 times per year). This salary may be adjusted based on equivalent prior work experience. In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive social benefits.

Do you want to join the WU team?
Then please submit your application by June 11, 2025 (ID 2401).
We are looking forward to hearing from you!