Junior SNSF Researcher (50%) in Social Sciences

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

As part of an international research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) entitled: « Performing Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Agency, Action–An Interdisciplinary Inquiry », the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) of the University of Lausanne is advertising a position for:

Junior SNSF Researcher (50%) in Social Sciences

Project Objectives/Description
 
The project « Performing Artificial Intelligence » (PAI) aims to understand artificial intelligence as a dynamic social and cultural object, constructed through discourse and practice in specific contexts.

Job Information

Start date: June 1, 2026

Contract duration: 1 year, renewable for 2 years, maximum 3 years

Work rate: 50%

Workplace: University of Lausanne, Géopolis

Salary: According to SNSF scale and years of experience

Your Activities

To deepen the analysis of common understanding and daily uses of new AI systems in situ, we are advertising a Junior SNSF Researcher position (50%).

We are looking for a person interested in engaging in ethnography of daily uses of AI systems and, more specifically, on two relevant data corpora of the project:

• Firstly, an existing corpus composed of audiovisual recordings of filmed interactions with this type of systems and robotic systems in daily situations, on the one hand, and a first survey conducted on the social uses of new AI systems, on the other;
• Secondly, a new corpus of empirical data currently being compiled from audiovisual recordings and ethnographic notes from research situations involving experts in digital art, AI, and/or robotics.

See the detailed job description

Your Profile

A Junior SNSF Researcher with the following profile and motivation:

• BA or MA in sociology, linguistics, anthropology, gender studies, media studies, or a related field;
• Experience or interest in processing, analyzing, and presenting survey results on social uses or social practices;
• Experience or interest in video-based interaction analysis, digital interaction analysis, and/or social studies of science and technology in action;
• Availability to produce and analyze detailed transcriptions, interest in the philosophy of artificial intelligence and digital art practices, openness to interdisciplinary dialogue;
• Availability for fieldwork, off-site, in Switzerland and/or abroad;
• Fluency in French and English, both spoken and written. German would be an asset.

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/work

For Further Information

Mr.

Olivier Glassey

Lecturer and Researcher

olivier.glassey@unil.ch

Your Application

Please attach to your application file:

(1) A cover letter

(2) An academic CV with the names of two referees

(3) An academic text (thesis chapter, seminar paper, scientific article, etc.)  

Only applications submitted through this site will be considered.

Please send your complete application in Word or PDF format.

Application deadline: April 12, 2026

Interviews will likely take place between April 27 and 28, 2026.

Remarks

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

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