Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) — Ph.D. position in the field of engineering psychology and human factors Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) — Ph.D. position in the field of engineering psychology and human factors

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled by 7/1/2026 and offered for a fixed term up to December 31, 2029.
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 successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this 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

At the Teaching and Research Area Work and Engineering Psychology, we conduct research at the intersection of human cognition, technology, and the environment. Our work is shaped by the interplay between basic and applied research. We are an interdisciplinary team of approximately ten staff members who jointly contribute to research and teaching in an open, cooperative, and dynamic work environment. The human-centered design of technological innovations is one of our three research focuses, in which the advertised Ph.D. position is also embedded. The position involves work on the DFG-funded project “Digital Stakeholder Shadows – Stakeholder Perspectives on the Digital Road,” which is part of the Transregio TRR 339 “Digital twin of the road system – Physical-informational representation of the future road system.” This TRR is a large-scale collaborative project involving RWTH Aachen University, TU Dresden, and the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt).

The project is based at the Teaching and Research Area of Work and Engineering Psychology and is led by Prof. Dr. Sabine J. Schlittmeier and Dr. Christian Böffel. Its focus is the development of an innovative, avatar-based interface concept for the stakeholder-centered presentation of diverse information from the digital twin “road”. The aim is to consider the different needs of various stakeholder groups (e.g., engineers, residents, political decision-makers) and to present the information typically required for their respective roles in a cognitively accessible, understandable, and decision-supporting way. The effectiveness of the interface concept will be examined experimentally. The position offers the opportunity to combine psychological research on perception, information processing, perspective-taking, and decision-making with current questions in human-technology interaction and information design.

Ihr Profil

• You hold an excellent university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Psychology, Cognitive science, or a related discipline.
• You have a solid background in experimental psychology. Experience with qualitative methods (e.g., focus groups, interviews), statistical data analysis (e.g., using R), and the implementation of experimental studies in digital or virtual environments (e.g., using PsychoPy, Unreal Engine) is advantageous.
• You have very good German and English language skills (at least C1), as the research project requires communication with German- and English-speaking study participants.
• You demonstrate a careful and structured approach to work, the ability to work independently, and you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment. An interest in engineering-related topics is also helpful.

Ihre Aufgaben

• You will plan, conduct, and analyze experimental psychological studies and qualitative research with adult participants as part of the project. You will also present the results at scientific conferences and publish them in international peer-reviewed journals.
• You will regularly participate in meetings and workshops of the DFG Transregio and actively contribute to the scientific development of the project.
• You will collaborate with the interdisciplinary project partners of the DFG Transregio.

Über uns

RWTH is proud to be certified as a family-friendly university. As part of our Campus Health initiative, RWTH offers a wide range of health, counseling, and prevention services, including university sports. Employees under collective bargaining agreements and civil servants also benefit from a comprehensive continuing education program and the option to purchase a job ticket for convenient commuting.
RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates and make employment decisions without regard to national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is especially committed to supporting the advancement of women in academia. When women are underrepresented in a university unit, preferential consideration will be given to female applicants among candidates of equal merit and professional standing, unless compelling reasons favor another individual.
In keeping with RWTH’s commitment to equality of opportunity, we ask that you do not include a photo with your application.
Please refer to https://www.rwth-aachen.de/applicant-privacy-policy for information about how we collect and process applicant data in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Besoldung / Entgelt

EG 13 TV-L