Postdoctoral Fellowship in Contemporary American Religion – Bryn Mawr College

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Position: One-year Postdoctoral Fellow (with possible 12-month extension)
Start Date: July 1, 2025
Salary: $60,000 – $70,000 based on experience
Location: On-campus at Bryn Mawr College or remote (PA, NJ, DE, NY, MA)


Bryn Mawr College, Postdoctoral Fellow

Bryn Mawr College invites applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Fellow for a scholar with expertise in contemporary American religion. We seek an enthusiastic and team-oriented PhD with expertise in religion to begin as soon as July 1, 2025. The Fellow will partner with President Wendy Cadge and research collaborators nationally on a large national project about the changing spiritual infrastructure of the United States. The postdoctoral fellow will play a key role in this project with shared responsibility for research design, qualitative instruments design, literature review, and data collection and analysis. The fellow will also be responsible for some non-financial aspects of administrative project management. We estimate the overall breakdown will be 80% research and 20% administrative.

Terms:

  • Duration: 12 months with the possibility of a 12-month extension. The position is scheduled to begin in July 2025.
  • Location: In-person at Bryn Mawr College or remote in PA, NJ, DE, NY, or MA. Occasional travel to professional meetings required.
  • Salary range: $60,000 – $70,000 based on experience.Responsibilities:
  • Collaborate with the PIs on design, data collection and analysis of data about the changes in the American religious landscape including closing congregations and the formation of new spiritually innovative groups.
  • Conduct literature reviews and report writing.
  • Contribute to academic papers and public facing writing (op-eds, blogs, ebooks) based on the data gathered.
  • Provide non-financial project management for this three-year project including managing the timeline, supporting the PIs to manage a large advisory committee, attending relevant professional meetings, and planning and organizing regular project team meetings.Qualifications:
  • PhD in the social sciences in hand by July 1, 2025. Preference given to PhDs in Sociology or Religious Studies with dissertations based on primary field data.
  • Demonstrated research and writing skills evident in scholarly publications.
  • Experience designing, conducting, and analyzing in-depth interviews. Knowledge of Atlas.ti. Knowledge of basic data manipulation in SPSS or Stata.
  • In-depth knowledge of the American religious landscape and willingness to learn about all aspects of the religious ecosystem including congregations, theological education, chaplaincy, spiritual innovation, etc.
  • Strong organizational skills and self-driven work ethic and interest in collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.
  • Application:Interested candidates should apply by Interfolio.
  • Please include:
    • A brief cover letter indicated your interest and experience for the position. Include details of your research experience, your organizational skills, and your work on project teams. If your PhD is not in hand, please specify how many chapters are drafted and include the name and contact information for your advisor who can verify a defense date by July 1, 2025.
    • An academic CV
    • Two writing samples – ideally one for an academic audience and one for a broader public audience
    • The names and contact information of two references. We will request letters from short- listed candidates.

Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2025. Open until filled. Questions about the position can be directed to Amy Lawton (alawton@brynmawr.edu)