Postdoc Position (m/f/d) for Cluster of Excellence "Transforming Human Rights"
Your workplace
The Cluster of Excellence “Transforming Human Rights”, based at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), addresses fundamental questions about the potential and limits of human rights in the context of several major worldwide transformation processes. For more information, see: https://www.humanrights.fau.de/research/exc-transforming-hr/

The Cluster’s Research Innovation Hub will contribute to fostering inter- and transdisciplinary research within a large-scale, multi-year consortium by helping to identify and pursue new lines of scholarship. It will address overarching theoretical and conceptual questions of human rights that span the different lines of research pursued in the Cluster.

Our benefits

• Regular promotion to the next level and increase in salary pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement for the public service of the German Länder (TV-L) or remuneration pursuant to the Bavarian Public Servants Remuneration Act (BayBesG) plus an additional annual bonus
• 30 days annual leave at five working days per week with additional free days on December 24 and 31
• Occupational pension scheme and asset accumulation savings scheme

Your Tasks
For the funding period 2026-2032, we seek a substantively qualified and highly motivated researcher at the postdoc level (TVL-13) for a position attached to the Cluster’s Research Innovation Hub. Within an intellectually stimulating, collaborative, and international team environment, the postdoc will conduct independent and joint, theoretically ambitious research on human rights that aligns with the Cluster’s overall research agenda (approximately 60% of the full-time position). There will be the opportunity to pursue a habilitation project.

The successful applicant will also be responsible for implementing central tasks of the Research Innovation Hub in close coordination with the Hub’s facilitators, Prof. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor and Prof. Erasmus Mayr (approximately 40% of the full-time position). Specifically, the postdoc will support them in organizing workshops and similar events (including innovative formats to be designed) within the Cluster to advance theory integration and theory development, as well as to facilitate the identification of joint foundational research topics and develop new theoretical frameworks for understanding and analyzing the role of human rights across different disciplines. Another area where the Cluster aims to innovate is in human rights research methodology, with a particular focus on transdisciplinary methods. In this context, we plan to advance dialogue between disciplines, organize interdisciplinary workshops on methodology and support the development and training of relevant research competences (including competences to deal with questions of research ethics which are specific to human rights research).

Your Profile
Necessary Qualifications

• A strong research background in human rights theory, with a completed Ph.D. in philosophy, legal theory, political science, anthropology, or a related discipline.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with the ability to work independently, proactively, and in a structured manner.
• Enthusiasm about working in large interdisciplinary research groups and finding innovative ways to connect work between different disciplines.
• Interest in diverse research methodologies, notably transdisciplinary methods.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are an asset.

Desirable Qualifications

• Prior experience working in larger interdisciplinary research groups.
• Knowledge of ethical standards in human rights research.

Supplementary description
We seek to realize equal opportunities and encourage applications from interested individuals regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, religion, or belief. The Cluster has appointed an Equity and Diversity Steward and an Equity and Diversity Coordinator who will participate in the selection process.

Please submit your application documents (motivation letter, CV, academic degrees and records, writing sample, and a research exposé that outlines your research interests in relation to the Cluster) on the FAU online platform (refrain from sending applications by post or email). The application deadline is 07.01.2026, and interviews will take place in late January. The postdoc is expected to start, ideally, no later than April 2026. For further questions about this position, you can contact:

Cluster’s Executive Director, Dr. Robert Fischer ().

Application deadline

2026-01-07

Title

Postdoc Position (m/f/d) for Cluster of Excellence "Transforming Human Rights"

Job start date

2026-04-01

Payment

E13, according to TV-L

Working time

full time

Weekly working hours

40,00

### Temporary Contract yes

Further general conditions

Work location

Andreij-Sacharow-Platz 1
90403 Nürnberg

Contact

Dr. Robert Fischer
Tel.: +49 1520 4976834
Mobil:
robert.fischer@fau.de

Please apply via our online platform instead of sending applications by post or e-mail. Applications sent to us by post will not be returned.

With regard to the personal data collected during the application process, please refer to our information pursuant to Art. 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulations at .

FAU is a modern, cosmopolitan and family-friendly employer. We welcome your application irrespective of your age, gender, cultural and social background, religion, ideological beliefs, disability or sexual identity. Applicants with a disability or who are considered to be equivalent to people with a disability will be given preference provided their aptitude, performance and capability are essentially the same. We are happy to offer part-time positions, provided a job-sharing arrangement means that the tasks in the area are fully covered.

If you wish, you may invite a person responsible for ensuring equal rights to accompany you to the job interview without incurring any disadvantages.