University assistant predoctoral (all genders welcome) at the Department of Business Management

The University of Klagenfurt, Austria, with approximately 1,500 employees and over 12,000 students, is located in the Alps-Adriatic region and consistently achieves excellent placements in rankings. The motto “per aspera ad astra” underscores our firm commitment to the pursuit of excellence in all activities in research, teaching, and university management. The principles of equality, diversity, health, sustainability, and compatibility of work and family life serve as the foundation for our work at the university.

The University of Klagenfurt is pleased to announce the following open position at the Department of Business Management at the Faculty of Management, Economics & Law with a negotiable starting date, commencing on March 3, 2025, at the latest:

University assistant predoctoral (all genders welcome)

Level of employment: 75 % (30 hours/week)

Minimum salary: € 37,577.40 per annum (gross); classification according to collective agreement: B1

Contract duration: 3.5 years

Application deadline: January 8, 2025

Reference code: 767/24

Tasks and responsibilities: 

• Research in a project for studying Self-Fulfilling Prophecies from the perspective of complex systems and management control, emphasizing the impact of digital technologies
• Independent scientific work with the aim to submit a dissertation and acquire a Doctoral degree
• Teaching and student supervision in the domain of the project
• Engagement in networking and science communication

Prerequisites for the appointment: 

• Completed Diploma or Master’s degree from a recognized higher educational institution in complex systems, computer science, economics, engineering, or physics or cross-disciplinary combinations of these fields. The completion of this degree must be fulfilled no later than two weeks before the starting date; hence, the last possible deadline for meeting this requirement is February 17, 2025
• Fundamental knowledge in three or more of the following subjects: complex systems, emergence, opinion dynamics, networks, multi-agent systems, control, resilience, social media
• Proven mathematical modelling capabilities
• Openness to behavioural, economic, and societal questions
• Proven programming skills in one or more among Python, Netlogo, MATLAB, R, C++ or Java
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Additional desired qualifications: 

• Very good scientific communication and dissemination skills (scientific writing and oral presentations)
• Knowledge of German
• Good social competences and ability to work in a team
• First scientific contributions like publications
• Relevant experience abroad

Our offer:

This position serves the purposes of the vocational and scientific education of graduates of Master’s or Diploma degree programmes and sets the goal of completing a Doctoral degree / a Ph.D. Applications by persons who have already completed a Doctoral degree or a subject-relevant Ph.D. programme therefore cannot be considered.

The employment contract is concluded for the position as university assistant (predoctoral) and stipulates a starting salary of € 2,684.10 gross per month (14 times a year; previous experience deemed relevant to the job can be recognised in accordance with the collective agreement).

The project team consists of the Predoc Scientist, Professors Friederike Wall and Christian Bettstetter, and international collaboration partners. The two advisors come from different disciplines, namely management control and engineering, but share similar problem structures and methods in the domain of complex dynamical systems. Friederike Wall works on modelling and simulation of systems with boundedly rational agents and behavioural control mechanisms, analysing emergence and social dynamics in different contexts, and deriving effective control systems. Christian Bettstetter contributes modelling and simulation of stochastic and mobile networks, analysing emergence and its dynamics, analysing information propagation in large networks, and designing concepts for robustness.

The University of Klagenfurt is a young and vibrant campus university hosting 12,000 students. It is located in the southern part of Austria, a region with outstanding quality of life at the intersection of Alpine and Mediterranean culture.

The University of Klagenfurt also offers:

• Personal and professional advanced training courses, management and career coaching
• Numerous attractive additional benefits, see also https://jobs.aau.at/en/the-university-as-employer/
• Diversity- and family-friendly university culture
• The opportunity to live and work in the attractive Alps-Adriatic region with a wide range of leisure activities in the spheres of culture, nature and sports

The application:

If you are interested in this position, please apply in English providing the following documents:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae (with clear information about the degrees including date/place/grade, the experience acquired including programming and mathematical modelling, the thesis title, the list of publications if any, and any other relevant information)
• Copy of the degree certificates and transcripts of the courses including grades

• Any certificates that can prove the fulfilment of the required and desired qualifications listed above (e.g., the submission of the final thesis/dissertation if required by the degree programme, copy of publications, programming skills certificates, language skills certificates etc.)
• Final thesis or other study-related written work (like seminar reports) or excerpts thereof
• If an applicant has not received the Diploma or Master’s degree by the application deadline, the applicant should provide a declaration, written either by a supervisor or by the candidate themselves, on the feasibility of finishing the Diploma or Master’s degree by February 17, 2025 at the latest.

To apply, please use the >> job portal <<.

For further information on this specific vacancy, please contact Professors Friederike Wall (friederike.wall@aau.at) or Christian Bettstetter (christian.bettstetter@aau.at). General information about the university as an employer can be found at https://jobs.aau.at/en/the-university-as-employer/. At the University of Klagenfurt, recruitment and staff matters are accompanied not only by the authority responsible for the recruitment procedure but also by the Equal Opportunities Working Group and, if necessary, by the Representative for Disabled Persons.

The University of Klagenfurt aims to increase the proportion of women and therefore specifically invites qualified women to apply for the position. Where the qualification is equivalent, women will be given preferential consideration.

People with disabilities or chronic diseases, who fulfil the requirements, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application process will not be refunded.

Translations into other languages shall serve informational purposes only. Solely the version advertised in the University Bulletin (Mitteilungsblatt) shall be legally binding.