03.08.2026, Wissenschaftliches Personal
The project investigates how people perceive time and space in immersive virtual environments, approaches related questions in an interdisciplinary manner (i.e., at the intersection of psychology, technology, and human–computer interaction).
We welcome candidates with a strong interest in fundamental research and, ideally, prior experience in VR research.
This is a senior researcher / project lead role for someone ready to combine independent scholarship with scientific leadership and team collaboration in an ambitious, international environment.
YOUR ROLE IN THE TEAM
▪ Work directly with the Principal Investigators at ETH Zurich and TUM to develop the research agenda, refine study designs, and drive the project toward top-tier publications.
▪ Collaborate closely with two Ph.D. researchers — one at ETH Zurich (VR development focus) and one at TUM (behavioral and psychology focus) — coordinating shared studies and integrating their work into joint papers.
▪ Provide day-to-day scientific mentorship, helping the doctoral researchers with experimental design, analysis, and manuscript development.
YOUR PROFILE
▪ A completed (or soon-to-be-completed) Ph.D. in human–computer interaction, psychology,(quantitative) marketing, information systems, or a closely related field.
▪ A strong trajectory toward publishing in leading international journals.
▪ Demonstrated interest and, ideally, experience in VR research — particularly on the perception of time and space in virtual environments.
▪ Strong quantitative skills (R, Python, or Stata; experience with machine learning or advanced experimental methods is a plus).
▪ Familiarity with VR-related toolkits (e.g., Unity, Unreal, or eye tracking) is an advantage, especially for coordinating the technical side of the project — but deep engineering expertise is not required.
▪ Collaboration and mentoring ability — you enjoy working across disciplines and sites and supporting more junior researchers, student assistant, or master students.
▪ Professional proficiency in English and strong communication skills. German is a plus but not required.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
▪ Lead and co-author rigorous research with the ambition to publish in leading international journals.
▪ Design, coordinate, and analyze VR-based experiments across the ETH and TUM sites.
▪ Mentor and coordinate the two doctoral researchers and help align their individual projects with the joint research agenda.
▪ Collaborate with international co-authors and industry partners, and represent the project at conferences.
▪ Potentially contribute to continuous follow grants
WHAT WE OFFER
▪ Start: earliest starting date October 2026.
▪ Contract & compensation: a fixed-term postdoctoral position (100%) based at ETH Zurich, remunerated according to ETH Zurich / SNF postdoctoral salary scales.
▪ Research profile: potential to sharpen your academic profile and position you as a promising scholar in the academic community
▪ Development: access to external opportunities for continuous quantitative training (e.g., GSERM St. Gallen/Lugano, ICPSR at the University of Michigan) and support for research stays in Germany or abroad (e.g., Amsterdam, Münster).
▪ Environment: a leadership role within interdisciplinary teams and collaboration with top international partners (e.g., ESADE, ETH Zurich, Oxford, Yonsei), with the autonomy to shape a high-visibility research program.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit a single PDF containing: a cover letter stating your motivation, research vision, and prior experience in VR (best case: in the perception of time and space); your CV including a publication list/working papers; and two academic references.
Please submit your application to marktech@mgt.tum.de by 25th August 2026. TUM will collect all applications. For informal questions about the positions, you are welcome to reach out to the same address.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & DATA PROTECTION
ETH/TUM strives to raise the proportion of women in its workforce and explicitly encourages applications from qualified women. The positions are suitable for people with disabilities; disabled applicants will be given preference in the case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude, and professional
performance.
Die Stelle ist für die Besetzung mit schwerbehinderten Menschen geeignet. Schwerbehinderte Bewerberinnen und Bewerber werden bei ansonsten im wesentlichen gleicher Eignung, Befähigung und fachlicher Leistung bevorzugt eingestellt.
Hinweis zum Datenschutz:
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Kontakt: marktech@mgt.tum.de

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