SNSF PhD Student in Political Science

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.

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Presentation

The Institute of Political Studies (IEP) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences is offering a position for a :

SNSF PhD Student

The PhD student will be hosted within the Laboratory for the Analysis of Governance and Public Action in Europe (LAGAPE), a research unit that brings together IEP researchers working on public action: governance and decision-making and implementation processes, public policies and regulation, elites, administration, and field bureaucracy.

The position is funded within the framework of the project "The politics of contentious implementation: Housing conflicts across European metropolises" funded for 4 years by the Swiss National Science Foundation – SNSF (Division I).

This research project analyzes conflicts that arise during the implementation of housing policies in European metropolises. It is based on a comparative analysis of three European metropolises (Geneva, Barcelona, and Paris) and combines a mapping of conflictuality at the metropolitan scale with in-depth case studies. To examine contentious implementation processes, it is situated at the intersection of the sociology of collective action and public policy analysis.

Job-related information

Start date: 01.08.2026 (to be agreed)

Contract duration: 1 year, renewable, maximum 4 years

Activity rate: 100%

Workplace: Lausanne-Dorigny, Géopolis Building

Salary: Salary scale

Your activities

You will be part of the project team "The politics of contentious implementation: Housing conflicts across European metropolises" which brings together a researcher and a post-doctoral fellow at UNIL, as well as 4 partner researchers in Switzerland and internationally.  

Activity rate distribution:

• 80% of the activity rate will be dedicated to completing a doctoral thesis in political science under the supervision of the project leader Julie Pollard ;
• 20% of the activity rate will be devoted to teaching assistant tasks

Job description: Job description

Your profile

To complete our team, we wish to hire a person with the following profile: 

• Master's degree in political science, human geography, or sociology.
• Strong interest in urban studies.
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously and in a team.
• Good skills in qualitative survey methods. Skills in quantitative methods would be an asset.
• Perfect command of French and English. Knowledge of Spanish is desired.

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

Contact person: Julie Pollard

julie.pollard@unil.ch

Your application file

Application deadline: April 10, 2026

Interested candidates are requested to send the following documents – in PDF format – via the University of Lausanne online system:

• Cover letter
• A complete curriculum vitae
• An example of publication (thesis or other)
• A copy of obtained university diplomas
• Contact details of two referees.

Only applications submitted via the online system will be considered.

Thank you for your understanding.

Remarks

UNIL is committed to:
•    Equality, diversity, and inclusion within its community;
•    Guaranteeing an open, respectful, and supportive environment for personal development;
•    Offering working conditions conducive to balancing different spheres of life;
•    Supporting scientific succession.

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