Postdoctoral Research Associate (Push*Back*Lash)

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

This UKRI funded, full time 22-month post is available in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology from 1 March 2024 to 31 December 2025 to support the work of Isabelle Engeli.

This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working – some time on campus and some from home.

The post

The successful applicant will contribute to the quantitative data collection, coding, and analysis of policy agendas across a number of European countries as well as manage the data collection coding, and analysis of the comparative database. They would also contribute to qualitative case studies on policy dynamics related to gender+ issues. There may additional related tasks during the period of appointment.

The post is part of the Horizon Europe/UKRI funded project Push*Back*Lash (10038117) Push*Back*Lash investigates the relationship between democracy and the advocacy of/opposition to gender+ equality using a wealth of analytical and methodological approaches. You will join a dynamic, international, and interdisciplinary team working closely with 11 project partners located in 8 European countries. You will be based at the University of Exeter and contribute to the Work Package 3 “Dynamics of Contestation on Gender and Sexuality Issues” which analyses the dynamics in policy attention toward gender+ equality issues across space, time, and institutional venues.

We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate with expertise in the research fields of gender and politics, and/or sexuality and politics, and/or public policy, and/or comparative politics. We are open to, and encourage applications from researchers from political science, public policy, policy administration, sociology, or other related social science disciplines. The successful candidate would complement the methodological expertise and language skills of the other researchers on the team.

A fluent command of English is required. An excellent command in any of the following languages is welcome but not required as essential: French, German, Italian, Polish. Please mention in your application the relevant language skills and methodological skills.

About you

You will:

• Possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study
• Be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the field and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes
• Be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

Further information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Isabelle Engeli, [email protected]