Research Assistant/associate

**Weitere Informationen**: The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term of 4 years. The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts). This is a full-time position with the possibility of a part-time contract upon request. The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L). The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L. **Unser Profil**: The Chair Individual and Technology (iTec) at RWTH Aachen University, headed by Professor Astrid Rosenthal-von der Pütten, is part of the Department of Society, Technology, and Human Factors. Research and teaching focuses on media psychology, human-technology interaction, social robotics and artificially intelligent systems. We are offering a position within the project "Designing Meaningful Robots for Long-term Human-Robot Interactions in the Field", funded by the VolkswagenStiftung. As currently available robots are either impractical prototypes or commercial systems not tailored to specific needs, our project aims to co-design social robots with future users that meet the following criteria: a) Primarily address specific psychological user needs; b) Follow the principle of form following function and user requirements; c) Are deployed in real-world settings early on and iteratively refined during use; d) Are small, cost-effective, and reproducible by other research teams. These design choices aim to create robots that better integrate into users’ environments and offer tailored functionality, thus supporting more meaningful interactions and enabling long-term field research. The project also explores the potential of citizen science in long-term human-robot interaction (HRI) studies. We are looking for a talented and motivated researcher to join our interdisciplinary team and contribute a strong design perspective. The position is available as soon as possible. **Ihr Profil**: - You have successfully completed your university degree (master's degree or equivalent) and your PhD - You have a strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychology, computer science, and design - You have solid experience in design (e.g., participatory design, hardware/interaction prototyping, co-design, product design) - You possess knowledge in psychology and empirical methods (e.g., interaction studies, surveys, interview studies, and their qualitative and/or quantitative analysis) - You possess knowledge in computer science; experience with robot platforms such as Nao or Pepper is advantageous - You are familiar with or interested in citizen science - Experience in research-based teaching is a plus - Excellent written and spoken German and English; if you do not speak German yet, you are willing to learn itYou are responsible, motivated, a team player, well-organized, and a strong communicator The position is limited to 4 years and should ideally start by September 1,2025. **Ihre Aufgaben**: - Contribute to the strategic development of the Chair in the following areas: - Teaching - by integrating design-related content into existing formats - Research - by implementing co-design projects - Research - by developing a citizen science framework for HRI - Plan, organize, and conduct co-design projects/studies with relevant user groups - Prepare results for publication in scientific journals and presentation at international conferences - Help build a local citizen science network and organize workshops with interested citizens - Supervise student theses in the thematic scope of the research project **Über uns**: RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket. **Besoldung / Entgelt**: EG 13 TV-L