4-Year Postdoc Position (Neuroimaging, Hearing & Social Behavior) in Oldenburg, Germany

The University of Oldenburg is seeking to fill the following position:

Postdoc in the project “Hearing Together - An Integrative Socio-Neuroscientific Perspective on Hearing & Social Behavior”

• Paygrade E13 TV-L
• Working Hours100% (suitable for part-time)
• Institution Department of Psychology (Faculty VI – Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Location Oldenburg (Oldb)
• Application Deadline 09.10.2025
• First day of work as soon as possible
• Limited fixed-term contract limited to 4 (+1) years

About us

The Carl von Ossietzky University is receiving €22.5 million from the Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation from the “Strategic Development of Potential” funding line to sharpen its profile and strengthen its national and international competitiveness through the project "A Programme for Excellence. Developing Strengths and Building Potentials by Interdisciplinary and International Networking". Among other things, this is to be achieved through consistent networking across national and international borders, the promotion of students and scientists in early career phases and the strengthening of interdisciplinary research priorities in socially relevant and innovative areas.

The booster unit “HearingTogether” is an interdisciplinary subproject of the Faculties of “Medicine and Health Sciences” and “Educational and Social Sciences” led by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Schnettler, Prof. Dr. Ulla Licandro, and Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel, in cooperation with the Excellence Cluster “Hearing4all”. The project investigates the relationship between hearing loss and social relationships, including underlying social and neural mechanisms, through three closely connected components: (1) analysis of the links between hearing and social (support) networks using quantitative and qualitative survey data; (2) examination of the interplay between hearing loss and neural networks associated with social behavior; (3) development of a theoretical framework referencing sociological action theories and theoretical neuroscience approaches. More information about the project can be found on the project website: https://uol.de/mesf/impulsgruppe-hearingtogether.

Your tasks

• Participation and collaboration in the interdisciplinary project “HearingTogether”, including working with project partners from educational and social sciences
• Networking with other teams within the overall project and beyond
• Design, implementation, and analysis of neuroscientific (fMRI) experiments
• Analysis of neuroscientific (fMRI) datasets from biobanks
• Preparation of interim and final reports as well as presentation of research results for workshops, scientific conferences, and publications
• Participation in acquiring third-party funding
• Acquisition and development of supervisory and teaching competencies

Your profile

Requirements:

• A completed scientific university degree (Diploma/Master) and a PhD in neurocognitive psychology, neuroscience, data science, or a related field
• Experience analyzing large datasets (e.g., UK Biobank, HCP) or advanced fMRI data analysis
• Strong programming skills (Python or Matlab)
• Publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Good English skills (spoken and written)
• Willingness and ability to communicate and collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary research context

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in social neuroscience
• Experience with predictive coding, Bayesian brain, or related approaches
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration

We offer

• Involvement in an innovative research project
• Participation in a dynamic research team
• Opportunities for qualification and training
• Exposure to other research projects
• Secure salary according to collective agreement (TV-L), including annual bonus; company pension scheme (VBL) and employer contributions to savings schemes
• 30 days of vacation, December 24 and 31 off
• Flexible working hours and the option to work remotely part of the time
• Access to university child care and vacation programs
• A wide range of free training opportunities, workplace health promotion services, and other consulting, support, and sports offers
• A modern workplace in a convenient location with free parking and good public transport connections
• Good infrastructure with cafeteria, cafes, library, shops, and restaurants nearby
• Exciting contacts on a vibrant campus

Our standards

The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Further information

Fixed-term contract limited to 4 years (with the possibility of a 1-year extension following a positive overall project evaluation and subject to available funding)

Travel costs related to interviews unfortunately cannot be reimbursed.

Contact

If you have questions about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel (christiane.thiel@uol.de).  

Apply now

Please send your application via e-mail by 09.10.2025 to

christiane.thiel@uni-oldenburg.de

Please send your application with the usual documents and the keyword “Booster Unit HearingTogether” by 09.10.2025, preferably in a single PDF file.