Job Description

Research Assistant (part- time) – Habitability and Climate Change

The Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) is looking for Research Assistant in the Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR) group to support the development of a conceptual framework on habitability through a cross-disciplinary literature review and synthesis. The results will help shape the project’s future research and contribute to a peer-reviewed publication.

ABOUT PROJECT

ALTHAEA explores how climate change affects the habitability of places and how societies respond when conditions become difficult. It examines who defines what is “habitable,” how these decisions are made, and how habitability loss is governed. The project introduces the idea of “lived habitability,” connecting environmental, social, and political factors, with a focus on planned relocation in flood-prone areas in Europe.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Conduct an in-depth review of academic and grey literature on habitability and related concepts (e.g. hospitability, livability), across multiple disciplines
Develop and maintain a structured literature database (including coding of key themes, concepts, methods, and case-study relevance) to support framework development
Assist in the conceptual mapping of habitability dimensions, including how they are framed and operationalized by different actors and at different scales
Support the iterative refinement of the draft habitability framework by incorporating insights from ongoing literature screening and synthesis
Contribute to the development of a peer-reviewed literature review paper
Support coordination between the literature review and the case-study research design
Support other research tasks as necessary

Skills, qualifications

At least master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. environmental policy and politics, anthropology, migration, human geography, sustainability)
Experience in scientific literature review and qualitative data analysis.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment.

Appointment terms

The selected candidate should be available to start in April or May 2026.
The position is offered as fixed term, part-time contract (at least 8 hours per week); Flexible arrangements of contract conditions.

The place of work is at the IIASA premises in Laxenburg, near Vienna in Austria.

We offer

The possibility to contribute to environmental sciences for sustainability and global wellbeing.
An international atmosphere and pleasant working environment in a historic market town surrounded by green areas.
An attractive salary which is exempt from income tax in Austria and negotiable, based on the qualifications, skills and experience of the selected individual and at least EUR 41,268 gross annual salary on full-time basis.

IIASA salaries are:

Not directly comparable with other employers in Austria, due to the unique legal status and privileges granted to IIASA.
Subject to the principle of income aggregation (Progressionsvorbehalt in German).

About IIASA

IIASA is committed to a working environment that promotes equality, diversity, tolerance and inclusion within its workforce. This is reflected in our IIASA core values. We encourage qualified candidates from all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds to apply. In the case that candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to applicants from countries where IIASA has a Member Organization.