From 1984, Steininger has led the Institute for Contemporary History in Innsbruck. His work concentrates in particular on the history of Post-War Germany, Austria and South Tyrol.
From 1995, Steininger has held a Jean Monnet chair, and is Senior Fellow of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans and member of the executive committee of the European Community Studies Association. He was visiting professor at the universities of Hanoi, Saigon and Cape Town.