Research Assistant (10h/week, 12 months fixed-term)

The Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC) at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich is looking for a graduate student to fill the position of research assistant.

The position is funded by LMU through the Volkswagen Foundation Change! Research Grant supporting Dr. Davide Orsini’s project “(Dis)Empowered Communities: A Comparative Study of Decommissioning Nuclear Sites.” The research assistant will be tasked with supporting Dr. Orsini with the preparation of multisited fieldwork research and other organizational activities, including the search for and consultation of library and archival material, writing short memos and literature reviews, and designing science communication documents. The research assistant will gain experience in the fields of environmental history and anthropology, science communication, and academic writing. The position will start 1 May 2025 and is fixed term until 30 April 2026.

Responsibilities

• Research support, including secondary literature research, research on selected field sites, primary and secondary document retrieval, and preparation of presentations;
• Administrative tasks, including website editing, administrative support, creation and dissemination of research communication materials.

Additional opportunities depending on the candidate’s qualifications and interests may include attending international events and collaborating with international partners on exciting projects worldwide.

Candidates for this position must be enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program at a German university with a commitment that extends to the full 12 months of the contract’s duration. A qualification or interest in environmental history or anthropology, or environmental humanities is desirable, as is experience with organizing events. A high level of fluency in English and excellent organizational abilities are required, fluency in any additional languages (especially German) is an advantage. Applicants should enjoy working with colleagues of diverse cultural backgrounds, be able to balance multiple assignments, and meet deadlines.

The appointment will be made for the entire twelve-months period, the first three months of which are the standard probation period. Salary will be determined according to the LMU compensation scale for “studentische Hilfskräfte.”

The RCC is located in central Munich and offers a family-friendly and flexible working environment. We especially seek applications from qualified candidates with disabilities, and we welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds and gender identities.

To apply, please send your cover letter, CV, and a research writing sample (max. 1 page which can be an excerpt from a larger piece) in one pdf file with the subject ″Research Assistant″ to davide.orsini@rcc.lmu.de by 27 March 2025. We will accept applications in English or German. Interviews will take place between 1–3 April 2025.