Research Associate (m/f/d) Competence Centre for Empirical Methods at the IAB

The Institute for Employment Research (IAB) is a special department of the Federal Employment Agency. It is one of the leading labor market research institutions in Europe and advises policymakers and experts based on the latest scientific findings. Our mission statement serves as our compass – learn more at www.iab.de.
You will be working in the Competence Center for Empirical Methods (KEM).
A core task of this department is the continuous improvement of the data used at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). In the coming years, the department will increasingly focus on the development and processing of unstructured data. This can include information available on the internet, which is extracted and processed using web scraping or an API. The department also aims to systematically develop data generated within the business processes of the Federal Employment Agency.
Your role will be to support the KEM team in building the necessary infrastructure. The goal is to develop pipelines that enable the flexible processing of unstructured data for research purposes. This presentation offers a multitude of challenging methodological questions that you can address – perhaps even as part of a doctoral thesis.

• Planning and implementation of complex projects, concepts, models or methods in the research unit
• Management and support of research-relevant processes within the organizational unit
• Analysis and publication of research results
• Initiation and management of (sub-)projects
• Programming web scraping routines
• Data retrieval via API interfaces
• Use of text mining tools (e.g., LLMs) to analyze text files
• Research on the data quality of the processed data

• University degree; doctorate or comparable qualification
• Preferred fields of study: Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Economics or Social Sciences, Mathematics
• In-depth knowledge of empirical research methods
• Sound knowledge of statistical analysis methods
• Good programming skills in R and/or Python
• Experience with web scraping and/or text mining is desirable.
• Publishing and presenting their research results in English (proficiency level B2 according to the CEFR), as well as a high degree of independent task performance, are essential.

Perfect match? Not necessarily! We're looking for motivated talent who want to develop themselves further.
Feel free to apply even if you don't meet all the criteria. Your qualifications and strengths are what matter to us.

This is a full-time position, limited until December 31, 2027.
Part-time work is possible, provided there are no compelling operational reasons to the contrary.
Part of the working time can be performed remotely.
Since 2009, the IAB has consistently received the "berufundfamilie" (work and family) audit certificate for its strategically designed family- and life-phase-conscious personnel policy. We pursue a family-friendly personnel policy with various initiatives to promote work-life balance, including flexible working hours and time off in lieu of overtime. In addition, the Federal Employment Agency's Family Service offers numerous support options.

Further benefits:

• Independent research, methodological plurality and freedom of publication, taking into account one's own research interests
• Access to comprehensive research data
• Impactful research through a special emphasis on policy advice
• International networking in the scientific community
• Mentoring program for female scientists
• Individual training and development opportunities
• Active health management
• Workplace technical equipment tailored to specific needs
• Office space in close proximity to public transport; subsidy for a job ticket; parking directly at the building.

Your salary will correspond to at least pay grade II, step 1 of the collective agreement of the Federal Employment Agency (currently around €4,970 gross per month for full-time employment). If you hold a relevant doctorate or have at least two relevant publications as an author (two co-authorships are considered equivalent to one full authorship) in one of the peer-reviewed journals, your salary will correspond to pay grade I, at least step 1 of the collective agreement of the Federal Employment Agency (currently around €5,500 gross per month for full-time employment). If you have relevant professional experience, you may be eligible for a starting salary at a higher step.
In addition to the fixed monthly salary, further salary components are possible, such as an annual bonus. Furthermore, after a certain period of employment, we offer supplementary company pension benefits through the Federal and State Employees' Pension Fund (VBL) and the option of salary conversion.
We welcome all applications – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, worldview, disability, age, or sexual orientation and identity.
The IAB is committed to equal opportunities for men and women and therefore encourages women to apply.
Applications from severely disabled persons and those with equivalent status are expressly welcome. We offer an accessible working environment where you can make the best use of your skills. Interested individuals with severe disabilities or equivalent status are welcome to contact our representative for severely disabled persons, Ms. Doreen Makrinius-Hahn (IAB.Schwerbehindertenvertretung@iab.de), in advance.
Your contacts:
Prof. Dr. Jörg Drechsler, KEM Division, Tel.: +49 911 179 4021, Joerg.Drechsler@iab.de;
Bettina Müller, WRM Division, Tel.: +49 911 179 1189, Bettina.Mueller3@iab.de.
Interested?
Then apply online using our application assistant. Simply click on "Apply" and register.
We look forward to receiving your application!