Research Associate in Politics and International Relations

College of Social Science, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester

Salary Grade 7 - £31,020 to £35,938 per annum

Open Ended Contract, subject to Fixed Term Funding. Funding is available for 24 months from appointment date (which will be by 1st September 2012).

Ref: SSC00248

The Department of Politics & International Relations is seeking to appoint a post-doctoral researcher to join the team of the European Research Council-funded RESPONSIVEGOV project, led by Dr Laura Morales (http://www.responsivegov.eu/). We welcome applications from excellent candidates in the fields of political science or political sociology to undertake independent and collaborative research, and to provide research support to the project Principal Investigator. The appointee will join a project team that will also include two PhD students and a Project Administrator. Candidates should hold a PhD, awarded within the last 5 years, or be close to completion, and have strong skills in research methods and quantitative analysis (using STATA or R, and with training or experience in agent-based modelling, time series analysis, and/or event data/history analysis). The successful candidate will have a strong research record, commensurate with career stage, in one or more of the following areas: political behaviour, public opinion, collective action, policy-making and comparative politics. Language skills in German, Dutch or any of the Scandinavian/Nordic languages are essential.

The appointee will perform various tasks related to data gathering, processing and analysis, and will contribute to the dissemination and publication of project results, jointly with the PI. Whilst the project direction is the responsibility of the PI, it is hoped that the successful candidate will help shape the intellectual direction of the project. The researcher will also be able to pursue their own research agenda where this is relevant to the remit of the project, broadly conceived. Research output should primarily be aimed at leading peer-reviewed academic journals.

Research expenses will be available through the ERC grant. The post-holder will have no teaching obligations, but will be allowed to engage in a limited amount of teaching—in agreement with the PI and the Head of Department—if it is judged appropriate for their academic development.

Job details (including qualifications and skills required) can be found in the Further Particulars to the post (which prospective candidates are encouraged to read) here: http://ig5.i-grasp.com/fe/tpl_UniversityOfLeicester01.asp?s=EXgIfLQnAyPBgDdPyv&jobid=72999,8774765983&key=44262309&c=984548254656&pagestamp=seuqwnkfrerdyfufpe

The closing date for this post is midnight on 2nd March 2012.

We anticipate that interviews will take place on 19th March 2012.

Applications should be sent through the online system of the University of Leicester and should include: a one-page cover letter explaining how your experience and qualifications match the needs of the project, a CV, and one single-authored writing sample (dissertation chapter, article or conference paper).  Applications without these documents will not be considered for short-listing.