Scientific Employee (Pre- or Postdoc) (m/f/d) African Non-military Conflict Intervention Practices

As a foundation under public law and with more than 90 employees in research, administration, and science communication, the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) is one of the most influential institutions for peace and conflict research in Germany.

In the context of the competence network “African Non-military Conflict Intervention Practices” (ANCIP) (project lead: Dr. Antonia Witt), funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) we are seeking to employ at the earliest possible date:

part time (65 %), in Salary Group 13 TV-H*,

until the 31st of March 2026 (acc. to WissZeitVG**).

The goals of the multi-institutional competence network ANCIP are the creation of an online database of non-military interventions by African regional organizations (AU and RECs), the empirical reconstruction of intervention practices and routines of African actors, as well as theory-building based on the data gathered. The network comprises scientists from the University of Leipzig, the University of Duisburg-Essen, PRIF, and a broader range of international partners in Europe and Africa. The position to be filled at PRIF is in the research group “African Intervention Politics (AIP)” in Research Department V “Glocal Junctions.”

For further information please visit: www.ancip-project.de

Your responsibilities include:

• Conceptualization and implementation of a sub-study on the role of liaison offices and local structures of AU, ECOWAS and IGAD in African non-military interventions;
• Participation in the joint development of a database on African non-military intervention practices;
• Participation in the activities of the competence network (including knowledge transfer into the field of policy and practice);
• Presentation of scientific results at conferences as well as scientific publication in single- and co-authorship;
• Participation in the bodies of PRIF’s internal administration (the language spoken in PRIF’s central administrative bodies is English).

As applicant, you should fulfill the following requirements:

• An above-average degree (at least “gut” according to the German Grading System) in political science, peace and conflict studies, African studies, another social science, or another project-relevant discipline that grants eligibility for the pursuit of a doctoral degree;
• Research interest in the field of African regional organizations (AU, ECOWAS, IGAD), interventions, and mediation; research/work experience on the African continent an advantage
• Ability to work in an international, multi-sited team; ability to work independently as well as collaboratively;
• Willingness to present scientific findings to the political and general public;
• Well-founded knowledge of qualitative social-science methods; experience in designing and conducting surveys is an asset;
• Availability for several short field research trips and stays at events of the competence network;
• Good spoken and written command of English. In order to conduct field research in French-speaking African countries, good spoken and written command of French is beneficial.

You can expect:

• Flexible hours that allow for the balance of work time and family life with the possibility to work remotely according to an internal guideline;
• A motivated and well-connected international team of colleagues;
• The possibility to get a discounted Deutschlandticket***;
• A company pension scheme provided by the VBL****.

We seek to fill the position at the earliest possible date. The overall duration of employment can—contingent on approval by the third-party funder—be a minimum of 24 months.

PRIF is a recipient of the Total E-Quality award and seeks to promote equal representation in the workforce at all levels and aims to strengthen work/life balance. In the case of equal qualification, applicants with severe disabilities will be treated preferentially.

Please send your application documents (cover letter, complete CV (without a photo), education and work certificates, a work sample (master thesis, scientific publication, exposé of the doctoral thesis, etc.) as a single PDF to application(at)prif.org with a subject line that consists of your name and the code “AIP” (e.g. “Max_Mustermann_AIP”). The application deadline is the 23rd May 2024. Application expenses cannot be reimbursed.

* TV-H = Tarifvertrag für den Öffentlichen Dienst des Landes Hessen: Current Tariff Agreement for the German State of Hesse.

** WissZeitVG = Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz: Act on Fixed-Term Employment Contracts in Academia.

*** Deutschlandticket = Ticket that allows for the usage of all local public transport in Germany.

**** VBL = Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder: Pension Institution of the Federal and State Governments.