The Demography and Health Group at the School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Germany, has the following job opening: 
Research Position (m/f/d)
ID: Wiss25515
- starting: 01.03.2026
- Teilzeit 65 %
- salary according to Remuneration level 13 TV-L
- befristet
The Demography and Health Group is seeking to appoint a doctoral researcher to join the project "Linked Lives: Consequences of Long Commuting for the Health of All Family Members (COMFAM)" funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant. The project aims to understand of whether long commuting - regularly recurring travel between home and work by a motorized private vehicle or public transportation - affects health and well-being of all family members.
COMFAM’s main objectives are: 1) to investigate the impact of long commutes on commuters’ physical health, 2) to investigate whether long commutes have adverse effects on non-commuting partners’ health and well-being, 3) to assess the effects of parental long commutes on children’s health and social outcomes, and 4) to examine whether the health effects of long commutes differ across population subgroups, and whether these effects are short- or long-term.
The successful applicant should contribute to one or more of the project themes. The project, led by Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan, will bring together experts from demography, sociology, statistics, economics, and social epidemiology. The group has inspiring research-oriented environment and culture that enables everyone to develop their individual skills, competencies, and research network.
The application should include the following:
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan (anna.oksuzyan@uni-bielefeld.de), for administrative questions please get in touch with Ms. Regine Myska (regine.myska@uni-bielefeld.de).
COMFAM’s main objectives are: 1) to investigate the impact of long commutes on commuters’ physical health, 2) to investigate whether long commutes have adverse effects on non-commuting partners’ health and well-being, 3) to assess the effects of parental long commutes on children’s health and social outcomes, and 4) to examine whether the health effects of long commutes differ across population subgroups, and whether these effects are short- or long-term.
The successful applicant should contribute to one or more of the project themes. The project, led by Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan, will bring together experts from demography, sociology, statistics, economics, and social epidemiology. The group has inspiring research-oriented environment and culture that enables everyone to develop their individual skills, competencies, and research network.
Your Tasks
Research activities (95 %):
- design and conduct quantitative research based mostly on longitudinal register-based data and health survey data
- publish results in international peer-reviewed journals
- collaborate on research tasks with multidisciplinary and international research teams
- contribution to the further development of the group’s research
- participation in national and international scientific conferences and workshops
- communicate research findings to interested non-scientific parties, e. g., general public, journalists, and politicians
- supervision of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses
Other activities (5 %):
Contribution to other activities at the Department of Demography and Health and the School of Public Health, e. g., administrative work, participation in committees, and organization of a workshop (5 %).
Contribution to other activities at the Department of Demography and Health and the School of Public Health, e. g., administrative work, participation in committees, and organization of a workshop (5 %).
Employment is conducive to scientific qualification and provides the opportunity for further academic development.
We offer
- salary according to Remuneration level 13 TV-L
- befristet (2 years, with the option of a 2-year extension) (§ 2 (1) of the WissZeitVG; in accordance with the provisions of the WissZeitVG and the Agreement on Satisfactory Conditions of Employment, the length of contract may differ in individual cases)
- Teilzeit 65 %
- internal and external training opportunities
- variety of health, consulting and prevention services
- reconcilability of family and work
- an interdisciplinary workplace and the possibility to interact with researchers of different nationalities and with strong ties to the international network of research institutions engaged in population health research
- constant place of work (Bielefeld) without travel activities
- flexible working hours
- 30 days holiday and additional days off on 24.12. and 31.12.
- good transport connection
- supplementary company pension
- open and pleasant working atmosphere
- modern work environment with digital processes
- various offers (canteen, cafeteria, restaurants, Uni-Shop, ATM, etc.)
Your Profile
We expect
- Master's degree in demography, public health/health sciences, sociology, health economics or another relevant area of expertise (above average grade of 2.0 in the German academic system)
- experience with empirical research in the fields of family dynamics-health, work-health, spatial mobility-health, and closely related research areas
- strong quantitative methods skills
- knowledge of statistical software (preferably) R or Stata
- very good written and spoken English
- clear analytical thinking and capacity to take on novel topics
- ability to work independently and in a team
- excellent communication skills
- ability to prioritize workload in an environment with competing demands and to manage timelines and deliverables
- ability to work in and have respect for an intercultural environment
Preferred experience and skills
- experience with publication and conference contributions
- research or study stays abroad
- experience with working with time use survey data
The application should include the following:
- letter of motivation that describe how your expertise fits into the research agenda of the project, highlight your statistical and technical skills and which questions you propose to address in your PhD dissertation (maximum two pages)
- curriculum vitae
- a writing sample (e. g., your Master’s thesis, a course paper or a publication)
- contact information of two academic referees
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan (anna.oksuzyan@uni-bielefeld.de), for administrative questions please get in touch with Ms. Regine Myska (regine.myska@uni-bielefeld.de).
Application Procedure
We are looking forward to receiving your application. To apply, please preferably use our online form via the application button below.
application deadline: 26.12.2025
Contact
Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan
anna.oksuzyan@uni-bielefeld.de
Postal Address
Universität Bielefeld
Gesundheitswissenschaften
Regine Myska
Postfach 10 01 31
33501 Bielefeld
Prof. Dr. Anna Oksuzyan
anna.oksuzyan@uni-bielefeld.de
Postal Address
Universität Bielefeld
Gesundheitswissenschaften
Regine Myska
Postfach 10 01 31
33501 Bielefeld
Bielefeld University has received a number of awards for its achievements as an equal-opportunity employer and has been
recognized as a family-friendly university. The university welcomes applications from women. This is particularly true with regard
both to academic and technical posts as well as positions in information technology as well as the skilled crafts and trades.
Applications are handled according to the provisions of the state statutes on equal opportunity. Applications from suitably qualified
handicapped and severely handicapped persons are explicitly encouraged.
At Bielefeld University on request positions can be carried out with reduced working hours as long as this does not conflict with official needs.
