Research associate at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin (2001-22)

Researcher at the Südost-Institut, Munich and editor of the journal Südosteuropa (1992-2000)

Associate professor of Political Science at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (2012-2022), before that private lecturer (habilitation 2002), teaching there 1997 – 2022

Temporary professorship for Political Systems of Eastern Europe at the Geschwister-Scholl-Institut (GSI), University of Munich (LMU) in SS 2003 and WS 2003/04

Holder of the Alfred Grosser Guest Chair at Science Po in Nancy/France in SS 2006

Teaching at the Humboldt University of Berlin in International Relations (2002) and at the Eastern Europe Institute of the Free University of Berlin, Department of Sociology (2007-2012)

Editor at the foreign language publisher Langenscheidt in Munich (1990-91)

Teaching German to immigrants from Eastern Europe at the DAA Bonn/Cologne (1988-89)