Graduate Assistant in Political Science in the Field of Comparative Political Behaviour

Introduction

A leading international teaching and research institution, UNIL has nearly 5,000 staff members and 17,000 students, distributed between the Dorigny campus and the CHUV and Epalinges sites. As an employer, it promotes excellence, recognition of individuals, and responsibility.

unil.ch/travailler

Presentation

To complete its team, the Institute of Political Studies (IEP) of the University of Lausanne is advertising a position:

Graduate Assistant in Political Science in the Field of Comparative Political Behaviour

Position Information

Start date: 1 February 2027

Contract duration: 1 year, renewable 2 x 2 years, maximum 5 years

Work rate: 100%

Workplace: Lausanne-Dorigny, Géopolis building

Salary: Salary scale

Your Activities

In your role, you will notably be required to:

• 50% of the work rate is dedicated to completing a doctoral thesis within the scientific project "Democracy and Inequality: Cleavage Transformation and Their Consequences for Participation and Policy". This project analyses how transformations of political cleavages – notably the rise of populisms and identity politics – affect equality in contemporary democracies. It distinguishes between input equality (citizen participation) and output equality (public policy outcomes), and examines how the evolution of political conflicts can weaken their articulation. The project tests the hypothesis that the shift from socio-economic cleavage to cultural cleavage increases participation inequalities, marginalises redistributive issues in political agendas, and limits egalitarian policies. By mobilising comparative data from various sources (all comparative projects within MEDem , such as CSES , CNES , CCS ), the study aims to analyse these dynamics from a transnational and diachronic perspective.
• See the project in the appendix
• 30% of the work rate will be devoted to supporting teaching tasks (methodology/research seminars) under the supervision of faculty members.
• 20% of working time is dedicated to participating in the scientific and operational activities of research units within the cooperation between FORS and SSP (DReMSS: research axis "Democracy and Election"; GREC) as well as national or international FORS projects (Selects, MEDem, CSES, CNES, CCS).
• Job description: Terms of reference

Your Profile

We wish to recruit, to complete our team, a person with the following profile:

• Master’s degree in political science or another social science discipline
• Interest in research on electoral behaviour
• Good knowledge of quantitative analysis methods in social sciences
• Familiarity with statistical software (SPSS, Stata, R, etc.)
• Proficiency in English and French
• Interest in writing an innovative doctoral thesis
• Good organisational, presentation, and writing skills

Your Benefits

A pleasant working environment in a multicultural and diverse academic setting.
Opportunities for continuing education, a multitude of activities, and other benefits to discover.

More information at unil.ch/travailler

For Further Information

Associate Professor ad personam Georg Lutz

georg.lutz@unil.ch

Your Application File

Application deadline: 19 October 2026

1. Cover letter
2. Academic CV with the names of two referees
3. Copies of university diplomas and transcripts obtained in Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
4. An academic text (e.g. Master’s thesis chapter, scientific article, etc.)

Please send your complete application file in Word or PDF format.
Only applications submitted via this site will be considered.
Thank you for your understanding.

Remarks

UNIL is committed to:
• Equality, diversity, and inclusion within its community;
• Ensuring an open, respectful environment conducive to personal development;
• Offering working conditions favourable to balancing different spheres of life;
• Supporting the next generation of researchers.

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