Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - 4-Year Postdoc in Experimental Bilingualism & Research Unit Coordination

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term of four years.
A follow‑up proposal to extend the research unit funding by a further four years is planned; if it is approved, an extension of the position would be possible.
The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts).
This is a full-time position.
The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L).
The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

Unser Profil

The position is embedded in the new DFG‑funded Research Unit (RU) “Bilingual Flexibility — The Psychology of Language Control” at RWTH Aachen University and is hosted by the Chair of Biological Psychology and Social Psychology (Prof. Dr. Anna K. Kuhlen). The RU investigates how bilingual speakers adapt their language balance flexibly to task and social demands. Research combines cognitive‑behavioural and neuroscientific methods (behavioural experiments, EEG, fMRI) and links mechanisms of language control, learning and social interaction. The RU brings together several principal investigators across RWTH and beyond, providing a highly collaborative environment with strong national and international networks and many opportunities for co‑authorship and career development.

Fifty percent of this position is attached to the Chair of Biological Psychology and Social Psychology. The Chair contributes two complementary project lines: one examines partner‑adapted lexical selection (how speakers adapt word choice to an interlocutor’s linguistic background); the other investigates language control in multilingual environments and how this shapes situational language balance. The postdoc will actively participate in empirical work in these project lines and is encouraged to develop a complementary independent research programme.

Ihr Profil

• Masters`s degree or equivalent and PhD (completed or imminent) in psychology, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience with experimental research and programming (e.g., Python, PsychoPy, R). Practical EEG experience is a strong plus; candidates without prior EEG experience but with relevant experimental and programming skills are encouraged to apply.
• Familiarity with data management and data repository workflows are advantageous.
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills; experience in event coordination or collaborative projects is desirable.
• Very good English (written and spoken); German not required at application but candidates should be willing to acquire basic German within two years (training support available).
• Commitment to inclusive, cooperative research culture.
• We explicitly welcome applications from candidates who meet many but not necessarily all criteria — motivation and the ability to learn quickly are valued.

Ihre Aufgaben

50 % Research facilitation & RU infrastructure

You will build and maintain infrastructures that enable outstanding science across the RU: design and operate an online assessment for dispositional language balance (integrated with our participant recruitment platform SONA), harmonise project data for archival storage in PsychArchives, and manage RU scientific events (support provided by student research assistants). These tasks are intended to increase the RU’s scientific reach and will provide you with practical expertise in open‑science workflows, reproducible data management, and network building.

50 % Postdoctoral research & spokesperson support

You will contribute substantively to empirical research in the Chair’s project lines (partner adapted lexical selection; language control in multilingual settings), supervise doctoral students, and co-lead experiments (behavioural and EEG). You will coordinate EEG lab activities and gain hands on experience with EEG acquisition and analysis. The position also includes limited teaching (approx. 2 SWS). We encourage the development of an independent, complementary research programme and support conference attendance, grant writing and publication activities.

This position combines immediate research engagement (co‑authorship, experiment leadership) with opportunities to shape infrastructure that benefits your own and others’ research. You will be based in Aachen within a closely connected Research Unit, working alongside psychologists with diverse methodological expertise (behavioural, EEG, fMRI, eye-tracking, longitudinal designs). The close proximity and disciplinary common ground foster frequent collaboration, strong mentorship, and excellent networking within our RU and with our international collaboration partners - an ideal environment to broaden your methodological skills, increase visibility and advance your academic career.

Über uns

RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket.
RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly from groups that are underrepresented at the University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is strongly committed to encouraging women in their careers. Female applicants are given preference if they are equally suitable, competent, and professionally qualified, unless a fellow candidate is favored for a specific reason.
As RWTH is committed to equality of opportunity, we ask you not to include a photo in your application.
You can find information on the personal data we collect from applicants in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at http://www.rwth-aachen.de/dsgvo-information-bewerbung.

Besoldung / Entgelt

EG 13 TV-L