The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG) conducts basic research on the governance of modern societies. It aims to develop an empirically based theory of the social and political foundations of modern economies by investigating the interrelation between social, economic, and political action. Building on the disciplinary traditions of sociology and political science, the Institute’s research program aims to combine and develop the approaches of new economic sociology and comparative and international political economy. We currently have an immediate opportunity for a bachelor’s or master’s student who is enrolled at a university in Germany and interested in working around 8 hours per week as a
Student Assistant to Dr. Monique de Jong McKenzie
in her research project “Young Investors in the Maturing Asset Economy.” The position is to be filled as of October 1, 2026.
Your role
- Policy research
- Literature reviewing and summarizing German texts in English
- Social media data collection and thematic coding
You will have the opportunity to develop your coding and analytical skills in the qualitative data analysis software MaxQDA. Working with the project lead, you will also gain experience in all stages of designing and writing scientific papers, from formulating a research question to searching and structuring empirical materials, to analyzing the material and critically discussing the findings.
Your background and skills
- Student on a degree program ideally in sociology or in a comparable discipline (social science)
- Familiarity with social science qualitative research methods and ethics, particularly thematic coding (beneficial but not mandatory)
- Familiarity with social media platforms, particularly TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram
- Strong written and verbal language skills in German and English
- Excellent knowledge of Excel or similar software to generate a database with searchable categories and filters
- Very high level of ability to work independently and with attention to detail
What we offer
You will work at a renowned research institute in an international environment, with access to the MPIfG’s data and library resources and the opportunity to participate in its events. As part of a fixed-term employment contract (WissZeitVG), we offer remuneration in accordance with the Max Planck Society’s guidelines on support for junior scientists; the current rates are 15.00 euros per hour for bachelor’s students and 15.61 euros per hour for master’s students. Under our staff agreement on remote working, student assistants are required to work in person at the Institute once a week.
A collaborative and collegial working environment is integral to the MPIfG. Starting from the application process, we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all our employees. The compatibility of career and family is one of our key concerns, as is the employment of people with disabilities.
How to apply
Please upload your full application documents (cover letter, CV, copies of diplomas and current proof of enrolment) as a single PDF to our online application portal. We regret that we cannot consider applications by post or email. The closing date for applications is September 25, 2026.
