The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) is an internationally respected research institute of the Max Planck Society (MPG) with currently two research departments, several research groups, and a graduate school. Around 200 employees and guests from all over the world are currently working at the Institute.

The Department “Knowledge Systems and Collective Life,” directed by Dr. Etienne Benson, seeks to appoint a

Collaborative Research Coordinator

– with a two-year contract (with the possibility of being made permanent), 39 hours, TVöD pay scales E13 –

to start as soon as possible.

Researchers in the Department “Knowledge Systems and Collective Life” use archival and ethnographic methods to study the relationship between knowledge systems and forms of collective life in the past and present. We seek to foreground neglected histories, trace cross-cultural connections, expand the boundaries of the political, challenge conventional definitions of science and technology, critically reflect on our own ethical commitments, experiment with new methods and media, and engage with diverse publics. The department is home to a wide range of research projects and working groups as well as to the Laboratory for Multimodal History, which supports the use of oral history and audiovisual research methods.

The department is currently expanding its historical and ethnographic research in partnership with community-based experts and non-academic organizations, with a focus on the domains of environment and health. We are seeking a Collaborative Research Coordinator to support these efforts and to serve as liaison between the director, the department’s researchers, the institute’s administration, and our external partners and collaborators. The ideal candidate will be a talented communicator and organizer who is enthusiastic about expanding the scope of the history of science within and beyond academia as a member of the department’s research support team.

Further information about the department, including its research support team and current research projects, can be found here. The working language of the department is English. The workplace is Berlin, Germany.

Your responsibilities:

• Support the development and expansion of the department’s focus on participative, community-based, and publicly engaged research
• Support and advise the department’s researchers on the use of these research methods
• Serve as liaison between the director, the department’s researchers, the institute’s administration, and external partners on all matters relating to participative research
• Coordinate cooperation agreements and maintain relations to external research partners, including community-based experts and non-academic organizations
• Facilitate participative research projects both locally and internationally, including assisting researchers with logistics, legal requirements, and third-party funding
• Provide organizational and administrative support for workshops and other events related to participative research
• Conceive and implement training for researchers on research ethics and other topics related to participative research

Your profile:

• MA in the history of science, technology, medicine, and environment or a related field in the humanities and social sciences; evidence of significant research experience required; PhD desired
• Experience with community-based, publicly engaged, and/or participative research methods involving non-academic participants
• Experience with working in an academic environment
• Enthusiasm for expanding the scope of the history of science within and beyond academia
• Interest in joining an international, interdisciplinary, collaborative team of research support staff
• Outstanding communication and organization skills
• Excellent English required

What we offer:

• Flexible working hours; the opportunity to work from home as arranged with your superior; the opportunity to work part-time
• Annual year-end bonus; occupational pension (VBL); subsidy for public transportation within Berlin or Germany (“Jobticket”); paid leave on Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31) in addition to regular annual leave
• Weekly in-house yoga classes; regular information on occupational health management courses offered by our partner health insurance companies
• Access to the wide range of training courses offered by the MPG’s Planck Academy
• Close contact with all research and research-support units and the opportunity for direct, personal dialogue
• An international setting with staff and guests from more than forty countries

The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer that strives to foster an inclusive workplace. As an institute of the MPG, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science supports a working community for all free from discrimination and harassment. We explicitly encourage applications from qualified individuals who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to age, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender, nationality, race, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or religion.

Please follow the links to find out more about the MPIWG’s policies on gender equality and hiring practices for people with disabilities, as well as Germany’s anti-discrimination laws as outlined in the General Equal Treatment Act.

Your application:

Please submit your application with complete documents, preferably without a photograph, through our application portal. Include cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of qualifications (in a single PDF file) and employment references (in a single PDF file).

Applications must be received by September 28, 2025 (23:59 CEST). Please note that we can only accept electronic applications submitted through the portal.