Postdoctoral Positions in Researching Toxic Visual Contents (Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng) -80%
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Department of Communication and Media Research
Postdoctoral Positions in Researching Toxic Visual Contents (Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng) 80 %
Start of employment Earliest July 1, 2026, or by agreement, temporary
The Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) is seeking two postdoctoral researchers. They will join the
SNSF-funded project VIZTOX – Visual toxicity in the digital platform age (Link), led by Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng.
The position begins with a two-year contract (80% FTE) and could be extended for up to five years. The annual salary is
CHF 82,371 , in accordance with cantonal regulations.
Your responsibilities
The role of the postdoctoral researcher within the VizTox project can be tailored to the candidate's expertise and
interests.
The postdoc may take on a more research-focused role, which could involve:
- Conducting independent and collaborative research within the project's work packages, contributing to milestones and
deliverables
- Publishing research findings and presenting results at conferences
- Contributing to project dissemination and outreach activities
- Co-mentoring doctoral researchers and supporting research capacity-building within the team
Alternatively, they may take on a more hands-on, research engineering–oriented role, which could involve:
- Supporting the technical development and infrastructure of the project
- Retrieving, managing, processing, and preparing multimodal data
- Developing and maintaining research tools, workflows, and computational pipelines
- Assisting project teams with technical and analytical needs
Your profile
- PhD degree (or close to finishing their PhD) in a relevant field, including (but not limited to): Communication
Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Digital Humanities.
- A distinct research profile in researching online communication, that is demonstrated through publications or
research tool development.
Relevant computational skills include (but not limited to):
- Image analysis or computer vision techniques
- Design, implement, and evaluate multimodal large-language-model (MLLM) pipelines for researching harmful visual
content
- Natural language processing (NLP)
- Network analysis
Additional relevant expertise may include:
- Digital ethnography to studying online communities and content creators
- Critical visual analysis or visual culture research, semiotics
- Visual Discourse or narrative analysis of multimodal online content
- Comparative research of translational media practices
- Content moderation research focusing on visual harm
- Track record in studying harmful online content-especially misogyny, misinformation, or propaganda-is an advantage.
- The ability to take a leading role in the project's work on German-speaking online communities will be regarded as
an advantage.
- Strong communication skills and strong teamwork orientation.
Information on your application
Please compile the following documents into a single PDF file and submit them via the UZH job portal (blue button)
below:
- Letter of motivation
- CV, clearly listing research experience and methods skills relevant to the project
- A one-page project description outlines the research ideas and methods you are interested in developing during the
postdoctoral appointment
- 2 writing samples (e.g. journal publications, article-in-progress, PhD thesis)
- Relevant transcripts and certificates (e.g. transcripts from graduate study; a scan of your MA and PhD degree)
- Contact information of two references
Application deadline
The review of applications will start on February 1st, 2026 . The positions will remain open until it is filled. For
any inquiries regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng.
What we offer
Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More
What we offer
Work-Life Balance
- Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
- Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH
More Learning and Development
- Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
- Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich
More Food
- Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
- Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution
More Healthcare
- Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
- Free seasonal flu vaccinations
- Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower
More Discounts
- Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
- Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
- Special conditions on hotel reservations
More Conditions of Employment
- Policies of the UZH
- Most UZH staff are employed according to public law
More International Services
- Support for people from outside Switzerland
More Campuses
- Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
- Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg
More
Location
Department of Communication and Media Research
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Further information
Questions about the job
Jing ZengProf. Dr. Contact Form
Contact question to: Jing Zeng
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *I accept the privacy policySend Thank you for your message. We will get
back to you shortly.
Questions about the application procedure
Pinar TidinHR Officer Contact Form
Contact question to: Pinar Tidin
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *Ich akzeptiere hiermit die DatenschutzerklärungSend Thank you for your
message. We will get back to you shortly. Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
Postdoctoral Positions in Researching Toxic Visual Contents (Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng) 80 %
Start of employment Earliest July 1, 2026, or by agreement, temporary
The Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) is seeking two postdoctoral researchers. They will join the
SNSF-funded project VIZTOX – Visual toxicity in the digital platform age (Link), led by Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng.
The position begins with a two-year contract (80% FTE) and could be extended for up to five years. The annual salary is
CHF 82,371 , in accordance with cantonal regulations.
Your responsibilities
The role of the postdoctoral researcher within the VizTox project can be tailored to the candidate's expertise and
interests.
The postdoc may take on a more research-focused role, which could involve:
- Conducting independent and collaborative research within the project's work packages, contributing to milestones and
deliverables
- Publishing research findings and presenting results at conferences
- Contributing to project dissemination and outreach activities
- Co-mentoring doctoral researchers and supporting research capacity-building within the team
Alternatively, they may take on a more hands-on, research engineering–oriented role, which could involve:
- Supporting the technical development and infrastructure of the project
- Retrieving, managing, processing, and preparing multimodal data
- Developing and maintaining research tools, workflows, and computational pipelines
- Assisting project teams with technical and analytical needs
Your profile
- PhD degree (or close to finishing their PhD) in a relevant field, including (but not limited to): Communication
Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Digital Humanities.
- A distinct research profile in researching online communication, that is demonstrated through publications or
research tool development.
Relevant computational skills include (but not limited to):
- Image analysis or computer vision techniques
- Design, implement, and evaluate multimodal large-language-model (MLLM) pipelines for researching harmful visual
content
- Natural language processing (NLP)
- Network analysis
Additional relevant expertise may include:
- Digital ethnography to studying online communities and content creators
- Critical visual analysis or visual culture research, semiotics
- Visual Discourse or narrative analysis of multimodal online content
- Comparative research of translational media practices
- Content moderation research focusing on visual harm
- Track record in studying harmful online content-especially misogyny, misinformation, or propaganda-is an advantage.
- The ability to take a leading role in the project's work on German-speaking online communities will be regarded as
an advantage.
- Strong communication skills and strong teamwork orientation.
Information on your application
Please compile the following documents into a single PDF file and submit them via the UZH job portal (blue button)
below:
- Letter of motivation
- CV, clearly listing research experience and methods skills relevant to the project
- A one-page project description outlines the research ideas and methods you are interested in developing during the
postdoctoral appointment
- 2 writing samples (e.g. journal publications, article-in-progress, PhD thesis)
- Relevant transcripts and certificates (e.g. transcripts from graduate study; a scan of your MA and PhD degree)
- Contact information of two references
Application deadline
The review of applications will start on February 1st, 2026 . The positions will remain open until it is filled. For
any inquiries regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Jing Zeng.
What we offer
Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More
What we offer
Work-Life Balance
- Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
- Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH
More Learning and Development
- Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
- Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich
More Food
- Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
- Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution
More Healthcare
- Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
- Free seasonal flu vaccinations
- Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower
More Discounts
- Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
- Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
- Special conditions on hotel reservations
More Conditions of Employment
- Policies of the UZH
- Most UZH staff are employed according to public law
More International Services
- Support for people from outside Switzerland
More Campuses
- Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
- Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg
More
Location
Department of Communication and Media Research
Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Further information
Questions about the job
Jing ZengProf. Dr. Contact Form
Contact question to: Jing Zeng
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *I accept the privacy policySend Thank you for your message. We will get
back to you shortly.
Questions about the application procedure
Pinar TidinHR Officer Contact Form
Contact question to: Pinar Tidin
Your Name *Your Mail Address *Your question *Ich akzeptiere hiermit die DatenschutzerklärungSend Thank you for your
message. We will get back to you shortly. Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject
areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the
University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent
and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More