Postdoctoral Position in Science, Technology and Society; STS

Organisation/Company ETH Zürich Research Field Philosophy » Ethics Philosophy » Philosophy of science Philosophy » Other Political sciences » Other Sociology » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Country Switzerland Final date to receive applications 3 Feb 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Postdoctoral Position in Science, Technology and Society (STS)

The position is limited to two years, 100% time, and is paid according to the fixed salary rates of ETH Zurich. This position is intended for researchers who will complete their PhD by January 2026 or have completed their PhD within the last 2 years.

Research in the Ethics, Technology and Society group is on the mutual interplay of science, technology and society using frameworks and methods from Science, Technology & Society (STS), history, philosophy, anthropology, critical theory, and the arts. We privilege interpretive, qualitative methods that combine situated ethnographic detail with deep knowledge of cultural and political contexts and histories, ideally in a cross-national comparative perspective.

You can learn more about the research of the group on its website.

The candidate for the Post-doctoral researcher position is expected to develop their own research project in the area of digital technologies (i.e. computing, data, algorithms, AI) in society
. We are in particular looking for candidates who have interest and experience with STS and humanities pedagogy in the context of a technical university and in developing research and teaching partnerships with computer science faculty and researchers
. We are also interested in candidates who value engaging publicly on topics of the ethical, social, and political aspects of AI, within the university, in Zurich, and in dialogue with society as part of their work.

• Perform qualitative social science (STS) research in the above-mentioned area.
• Work towards publications in recognized international journals, including co-authored papers with other group members.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary research and teaching initiatives in partnership with computer science faculty, researchers, and students at ETH Zürich.
• Engage on topics of ethical, social, and political aspects of digital technologies within the ETH Public Policy School, the university, Zürich civil society, and wider publics.
• Contribute to writing synergistic grant applications to raise external funding.
• Participate regularly in the events of the Ethics, Technology and Society research group and support the work of the group, including the organization of meetings, project maintenance, planning of project events, workshops, conferences.
• Actively engage with professors, students, and researchers at the D-GESS department, ETH Zürich, and in the Swiss and international STS community.

• About to complete (by January 2026) or have completed/submitted within the last 2 years a dissertation in Science, Technology and Society (STS) or a related field, e.g. History and/or Philosophy of Science and/or Technology, Geography, Law, (Qualitative) Policy Studies, Innovation Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science. Interested candidates with a PhD in engineering or science who have extensive training and research experience in STS are also encouraged to apply.
• A distinct research profile in STS or related fields that is demonstrated through publications and/or teaching in the area of digital technologies (computing, data, algorithms, AI) and society.
• Interest and experience in STS and humanities pedagogy in engineering contexts.
• Interest and experience to collaborate with computer scientists, natural scientists and to engage with students, policy makers, and publics on ethical, social and political aspects of digital technologies and society.
• Broad knowledge of the topics, theories and methods of STS
• Knowledge of co-productionist and comparative approaches…