Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (f/m/x)

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center, research area International Politics and Law, research department Global Governance (led by Professor Michael Zürn), is seeking to appoint one

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (f/m/x)

in the area of international politics with a focus on international institutions. The position is fulltime (39 hours per week) for a period of four years, starting preferably on 1st March 2023. The position is embedded within the research group Global Governance. Global Governance analyses the politics of inter­national order with three areas of focus: state-driven conflicts about inter­national authority; societal conflicts in Global Governance; and institutional dynamics in the Global Governance system (https://www.wzb.eu/en/research/international-politics-and-law/global-governance).

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center is a publicly financed research institution that conducts leading theory-based and problem-oriented social science research (http://www.wzb.eu/en). WZB researchers come from across the globe and work across social science disciplines including sociology, political science, economics, law, and psychology.

Your tasks:
The main tasks of this position involve the theory-based and ideally empirical research on the prospects and transformations of political cooperation and conflict beyond the nation state. The successful candidate is expected to contri­bute to the research programme of the Global Governance unit. In particular, we are currently looking for applicants who can contribute to at least one of the following research themes:

• The analysis of state-driven conflicts in and about global governance, e.g. with a view to regime type, geopolitical, or economic conflict lines and the resulting challenges for political cooperation;
• The analysis of institutional dynamics in global governance, e.g. regarding processes of regionalization, transnationalization, or counter-institutio­nalization. A focus on actors outside the Western world is desirable.

Responsibilities include publishing empirically grounded research, partly together with the Director, preferably in international, peer-reviewed journals; conducting independent research and contributing to the unit’s overall research agenda; conceptual and empirical work in the above-mentioned areas; and involvement in the unit’s research programme development and internal organisation.

Your qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in political science, international relations, political sociology, data science and statistics, or a related social science discipline by the time the position starts;
• Profound knowledge of and experience in either quantitative or qualitative methods of empirical social research;
• A vibrant and creative research agenda that broadly fits to the themes sketched above;
• Excellent English writing and communication skills.

Our offer:

• Remuneration in accordance with EG 14 TVöD Bund (in accordance with German Wage Agreement for Public Service);
• Integration into the scientific community in the form of colloquia and conferences, and the possibility to teach courses at universities in Berlin;
• Research support by student assistants and travel funding, as well as opportunities to invite external collaborators and visiting research fellows;
• Flexible working hours and a good work–life balance (our engagement has been certified by the audit Work and Family and the European Commission’s Human Resources Strategy for Researchers);
• A well-equipped workplace in the centre of Berlin, as well as an international, cooperative, and diversified working environment;
• Additional benefits for public service employees (VBLU).

Equally well-qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference. We value diversity and welcome all applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation. WZB expressly encourages women or persons with a migrant background to apply.

Please apply with your complete documents in English (including a letter of motivation, a short sketch of a research plan of 2–3 pages, curriculum vitae, copies of relevant certificates, PhD certificate) in the form of a single PDF-file by no later than 5^th December 2022 via the WZB application portal. Interviews are expected to take place on the second week of January 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Lina Hayek at +49 30 25491-269 or lina.hayek@wzb.eu

Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für
Sozialforschung gGmbH (WZB)
Reichpietschufer 50
10785 Berlin