The Anton Bruckner Private University, funded by the State of Upper Austria, offers approximately 850 students artistic, artistic-pedagogical, and artistic-academic degree programs in the fields of music, theater, and dance. The strong blend of internationality, deep roots in the regional cultural and educational landscape, diversity, and work-life balance provides employees with the foundation for an attractive and diverse work environment.

The following position is available at the ITG Institute starting in November 2026:

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is funding the four-year research project (2024–2028) “Towards a Unified Model of Musical Form: Bridging Music Theory, Digital Corpus Research, and Computation” (10000183) as part of the Sinergia program and in cooperation with the Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab (Prof. Martin Rohrmeier) and the Chair of Discrete Optimization (Prof. Friedrich Eisenbrand) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The project aims to further develop a theory of musical form, create form-analytic datasets, and develop computational approaches for automated form analysis.
To carry out the project, the ABPU (PI: Prof. Markus Neuwirth) is looking for a project staff member in the position of a research assistant (pre- or postdoctoral).

Requirements

• A completed university degree (preferably in music theory and/or musicology or a related discipline); a completed doctoral degree is required for the postdoctoral position
• Background in music theory, particularly a strong knowledge of musical form
• Willingness to collaborate and work in a team
• Regular attendance at the Anton Bruckner University
• Very good English skills (C1 level), basic German skills (A2)
• Experience with academic research projects, publications, digital corpus research, digital humanities, and computational/quantitative methods is desirable.

Role & Responsibilities

• Contributing to research and administrative tasks for the research project “Towards a Unified Model of Musical Form”
• Working closely with project team members in Linz and Lausanne
• Attending international conferences and workshops

Contact & general information

• A culture of appreciation, recognition, and leadership in an artistic environment
• The freedom to work independently as part of a dynamic team, with flexible working hours and a work-from-home policy
• Opportunities for personal and professional development
• Workplace wellness programs and other benefits, employee events
• We give our employees additional time off and offer the option of a sabbatical
• Initially limited to 1 year, with the possibility of extension for another year

The following documents must be included:

• Cover letter
• Resume (in table format)
• Certificates, and documents attesting to qualifications relevant to the position
• Documentation of previous achievements in the field of music research
• Two references for letters of recommendation

Please note that only applications submitted in full through our job portal will be considered in the next stage of the process.

Based on a full-time position of 40 hours per week, the minimum monthly salary is €3,824.54 gross. Classification is according to Appendix 1 to the statutes, in pay group D. The actual salary is based on eligible prior service. Please submit your application materials by August 15, 2026, at the latest, exclusively through our job portal. We look forward to getting to know you!

In accordance with its mission statement, the Anton Bruckner Private University strives for a diverse, socially representative workforce. Therefore, our job postings are open to all people in all their diversity. It does not matter to us what your gender identity is, whether you have a disability, whether you have a background as an immigrant, or whether you belong to another underrepresented group. The sole determining factors for a successful application are your personal and professional qualifications for the advertised position. Information about your rights as a data subject under Article 13 of the GDPR, as well as the Bruckner University Privacy Policy, can be found at https://www.bruckneruni.ac.at/datenschutz/

Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse any costs incurred in connection with an application to the Anton Bruckner Private University.