Postdoctoral Researcher
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy is looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join our dynamic research team at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The position is full-time and will either be based at our headquarters in Kiel or at our Research Hub in Berlin.
Your Role
Your main role will be to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of political economy, development economics, and economic history.
A central focus of the position is the study of the determinants, consequences, and long-run effects of conflicts, including its implications for institutions, political representation, governance, and economic development.
The position is particularly suited to scholars whose research examines how political and historical institutions shape economic, political, and social outcomes, with a particular interest in inequality, governance, political participation, state capacity, and long-run development.
As part of Moritz Schularick's research team, you will work closely with senior researchers on high-impact projects with strong academic and policy relevance. The position offers an excellent opportunity to develop an independent research agenda, publish in leading international journals, collaborate with an international network of researchers, and contribute to externally funded research projects.
Your Profile
We are looking for a candidate who meets the following criteria:
- PhD in Economics
- Strong research background in macroeconomics, international economics, finance, political economy, or related fields.
- Excellent quantitative and econometric skills.
- A strong, proven record of prior research on conflicts, economic, political and social influences on their outcomes, as well as their (long-lasting) effects is a necessary essential asset. The record should be demonstrated by the candidate’s CV and submitted research papers (see below).
- Demonstrated experience working with modern empirical methods.
- Demonstrated experience working with historical data.
- Strong programming skills in Stata, R, Python, Julia, Matlab, or comparable software.
- Evidence of research excellence through high-quality working papers or publications.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to collaborative research projects.
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English.
We are offering
The position is scheduled to start on September 1, 2026, and is limited to two years. The salary will be based on the German public sector pay scale at grade EG 13 TV-L. The position is full-time.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy values diversity. We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Kiel Institute is an equal opportunity employer with a certified family-friendly policy. We promote the professional opportunities of women and strongly encourage them to apply. Women with equivalent qualifications, competence and expertise will be given preference. We are committed to employing persons with recognized disabilities and will therefore give them preference over persons without disabilities if they are equally qualified.
In order to be eligible for this position you have to hold EU citizenship or need to be able to provide a work permit that is valid throughout the time of your contract.
Please submit your applicationonline using ID-No. “07_26_Postdoc_Macro_01”. Please include (i) a letter of interest, (ii) your CV, (ii) two research papers (iii) university transcripts, as well as (iv) proofs of relevant work experience. Ideally submit just one PDF, including “xyz” and your family name as file name. The deadline for applications is August 28, 2026. Application photos should not be included.
For additional information, please contact Johannes Binder.
