PhD Position in Developmental Psychology (75%)

TU Dortmund University is a dynamic research-oriented university with 17 departments in the natural and engineering sciences as

well as social and cultural sciences. On our international campus, around 6,700 employees make a daily contribution to solving

pressing questions of the present and the future. Openness and diversity characterize not only the collaboration in research and

teaching, but also in technology and administration.

• Enjoyment of interacting with parents and children in a research context

• Fluent proficiency in German and English (written and spoken)

• Excellent methodological, programming, and statistical skills

Desired:

• Practical experience working with infants and young children in a research

context

• Prior experience in interdisciplinary research settings

Your responsibilities

• Design, implementation, analysis, and publication of studies on the

development of episodic memory in early childhood

• (Co-)supervision of student assistants and research students

• Proactive interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange within and beyond

the CRC throughout the research process

• Presentation of study results at internal and external events and scientific

conferences

• Regular contribution to public relations and science communication

What we offer

• A stimulating research environment

• Opportunities for collaboration with researchers from various disciplines

• Challenging and varied tasks with a high degree of autonomy

• Cooperative work in an engaged, international and collegial team

• Opportunities for science communication

• The possibility for scientific qualification through a cumulative PhD

Additional information
Employment will be based on a fixed-term contract according to the collective
agreement for the public sector in Germany (TV-L). Remuneration will be in
accordance with pay scale E13 TV-L, subject to personal and collective
bargaining requirements.
Further information can be found at https://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/

The Chair of Developmental Psychology at TU Dortmund University invites
applications for a position as a research associate (m/f/x) within a research
project on the development of episodic memory in early childhood. The position
(75%, E13 TV-L) is a fixed-term employment until December 31, 2030.
Employment is subject to final approval and funding by the third-party funding
provider.

The project is embedded in a Collaborative Research Centre (CRC). The CRC
“Episodic Memory” is an interdisciplinary consortium consisting of researchers
from psychology, computational neuroscience, philosophy and neuroscience.
The basis for our research is the Scenario Construction Framework which
conceptualizes scenarios as mental simulations of past episodes, constructed
from episodic memory traces and semantic information. As a part of this team,
you will be trained in interdisciplinary research and have access to a broad
spectrum of initiatives to support you in your academic journey.

The study will be conducted in close cooperation at two locations: Bochum and
Dortmund. The successful candidate will contribute to the planning, execution,
analysis, and publication of a longitudinal study involving children aged 3 to 5
years at the research site in Dortmund. Additionally, the position
involves interdisciplinary collaboration with the Institute for
Neuroinformatics at Ruhr University Bochum to analyze memory processes
using computational models.

The position offers the opportunity for scientific qualification through
a cumulative PhD.

Your profile
Required:

• A Master’s degree in Psychology or a closely related field

• A strong interest in developmental psychology research on memory and

enthusiasm for scientific work

• A highly motivated team player who enjoys collaborating with researchers

from various disciplines, particularly in the areas of modeling, philosophy,
and neuroscience

• Proactive problem-solver in daily work

PhD Position in Developmental Psychology (75%) – Starting January 1, 2027

We promote diversity and equal opportunities. Convince us with
your personality and expertise. TU Dortmund University aims at
increasing the percentage of women in science and therefore
encourages women to apply.
We also underline that the application of suitable persons with
disabilities are explicitly weclome.

Applications, including a curriculum vitae, copies of degree
certificates as well as name and contact details of references, may
be sent to

If you are interested, please submit your application with supporting
documents by October 27th, 2026 under reference number w55-26:
TU Dortmund University, Chair of Developmental Psychology,
Norbert Zmyj, Emil-Figge-Straße 50, 44227 Dortmund, Germany

For questions, please contact: Prof. Dr. Norbert Zmyj
Phone: +49 231 755 6571, email: norbert.zmyj@tu-dortmund.de

https://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/