Researcher or Senior researcher in Ukrainian Political Economy at DIIS

Do you have in-depth knowledge of the political economy in Ukraine? Are you interested in the relationship between state and businesses, the role of oligarchies in society, and/or in good governance? And do you want to play a vital role in building research capacity in Denmark on Ukraine (and neighbouring countries)? Then you could be our new researcher or senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).

In opening this position DIIS looks to develop its research, policy studies, and dissemination on the Ukrainian political economy as it pertains to corruption, state-business relations, and public administration.

About DIIS and the position At DIIS, we have a long tradition of contributing to the development of research in International Studies, and one of our absolute hallmarks is providing research-based input to decision-makers and the public debate. As an employee at DIIS, you will be part of an inspiring and vibrant knowledge environment at an institution that aims to be a leader in multidisciplinary research at the highest international level, policy analysis and dissemination of International Studies. It is crucial that you are ready to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and that you value input to and from colleagues with other disciplinary backgrounds, as it is an important part of DIIS's DNA that our researchers come from different disciplines and work with different theoretical approaches.

Research at DIIS is organised in research units. The selected candidate is expected to work either in the Sustainable Development and Governance unit that examines the interaction between global development and governance, or the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Unit that studies the relationship between states and international power from bilateral and multilateral perspectives.

As a researcher at DIIS, we expect you to contribute to the development of the international research profile of DIIS. You will have plenty of time to focus on your research, as you have no teaching obligations. In return, you are expected to publish original research in internationally recognised journals/publishing houses and engage in policy studies within your field of expertise. Moreover, it is expected that the researcher engages with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issues related to understanding development and change in Ukraine and share his/her knowledge with the rest of society. Furthermore, the researcher is expected to assist in managing own projects and participate in grant application activities regarding research funds.

As a senior researcher at DIIS, in addition to the above, we expect you to continuously contribute to the thematic and theoretical development of research both at DIIS in general and in your research unit. You maintain a steady rate of high-quality international publications and engage in policy studies within your field of expertise. This is an important part of the senior researcher position at DIIS in general and of this position in particular. Furthermore, the senior researcher is expected to attract research grants, manage research projects, provide guidance and supervision of junior members of staff, participate actively in a research unit, and take part in academic assessments and other tasks requested by DIIS.

The ideal candidate is expected to:

• Demonstrate evidence of a steady rate of publications, a progression in publications over time, as well as current research activity in the form of recent publications at high international level,
• Take the lead in building research capacities on Ukraine at DIIS,
• Engage internationally with researchers working on the political economy of Ukraine,
• Engage in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to policy studies, seminars, etc. on Ukraine and neighbouring countries,
• Accomplish research and engage in research cooperation meeting high international standards,
• Take active part in producing research-based policy outputs,
• Engage in external fundraising to increase funds for DIIS,
• Take active part in the public dissemination within your own area of expertise,
• Contribute to the administrative responsibilities of the Institute,
• Contribute to the long-term well-being of staff in the research unit and at DIIS at large,

Qualifications for the researcher position Applicants must hold a relevant PhD degree. The ideal candidate matches the following characteristics:

• Research profile within political economy with a particular focus on Ukraine, corruption, state-business relations, and/or public administration,
• Documented research production at an international level,
• Academic contacts and networks related to the political economy of Ukraine,
• Some experience with disseminating research findings to non-academic stakeholders,
• Some experience in outreach activities seeking to influence the public debate within one’s own area of expertise,
• Keen interest in producing research-based policy outputs,
• Successfully taken part in applying for external funds for one’s own projects,
• Master/knowledge of written and oral Ukrainian, and
• Master English for academic purposes.

Qualifications for the Senior researcher position Applicants must hold a relevant PhD degree. The ideal candidate matches the following characteristics:

• International research profile within political economy with a particular focus on Ukraine, corruption, state-business relations, and/or public administration,
• Documented research production at an international level, including publications in the field’s internationally recognized journals/publishing houses,
• Academic contacts and networks related to the political economy of Ukraine,
• Considerable experience with disseminating research findings to non-academic stakeholders,
• Considerable experience in outreach activities seeking to influence the public debate within one’s own area of expertise,
• Keen interest in producing research-based policy outputs,
• Experience in applying for competitive research funds,
• Master/knowledge of written and oral Ukrainian, and
• Master English for academic purposes.

Moreover, the ideal candidate shall be enterprising, possess good interpersonal skills, have good communication skills and be willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across DIIS.

Ability to disseminate your knowledge in Danish is an asset, but not a requirement.

DIIS as a workplace We offer an attractive and inclusive workplace where all employees can develop their professional and personal skills. For us, knowledge sharing, dialogue and feedback are essential to create a dynamic workplace. You are therefore expected to proactively participate in the Institute's joint efforts. We prioritize a high degree of presence, but at the same time want employees to experience a good balance between work and private life. That is why we offer flexible working hours and the option of working from home to a certain extent. We are located directly opposite Nordhavn station, approx. 3 km from the inner city of Copenhagen.

DIIS is a diverse workplace, and we therefore encourage all qualified applicants to apply for the position regardless of their personal background. We are aware of the environmental consequences of our activities, and we are constantly seeking to become a more sustainable workplace, both on a daily basis and in relation to how we carry out our travel activities.

Salary and terms of employment The position as researcher is a full-time position limited to three years, where you can expect a lot of travel. We would like you to start August 1, 2024, or soon thereafter. You will be employed according to the applicable collective agreement for academics in the state. The salary as a researcher is about DKK 387.700 - 460.000 excl. pension (17.1 % of the salary) depending on length of previous academic service. In addition, there is an opportunity to negotiate a personal qualification supplement depending on your experience and skills. Depending on specific tasks and projects, functional supplements may also be considered.

The position as senior researcher is a permanent full-time position, where you can expect a lot of travel. We would like you to start August 1, 2024, or soon thereafter. You will be employed according to the applicable collective agreement for academics in the state. The salary as a senior researcher is about DKK 436.400 - 508.700 - excl. pension (17.1 % of the salary) depending on length of previous academic service. In addition, there is an opportunity to negotiate a personal qualification supplement of up to DKK 65,000 a year depending on your experience and skills. Depending on specific tasks and projects, functional supplements may also be considered.

If you are not resident in Denmark, in some cases you will be able to apply to be taxed according to the special researcher scheme with a gross tax of 32.84% of the salary for a period of up to seven years. Read more about the options at the Danish Tax Authorities.

The application The application deadline is March 15, 2024, at 23.59.

Please note that we only accept applications sent via DIIS' electronic recruitment system via the link on the right.

Your application must contain all of the following documents:

1. Motivated application/ cover letter indication whether you apply for the researcher or the senior researcher position.
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV).
3. Certificates of education for both master's and PhD degrees.
4. Documentation for research qualifications, including a complete list of publications.
5. Documentation of policy tasks and scientific dissemination (media appearance etc.).
6. A maximum of 3 relevant research publications that you want included in the assessment for the researcher position and 5 relevant research publications that you want included in the assessment for the senior researcher position. If any of the publications that you want included in the assessment are the result of a joint effort, the extent and the nature of your contribution to each individual work must then be clarified in a co-author statement.
7. A research statement of a maximum of 500 words (separate from the application itself) laying out your future research plans and showing how your research fits DIIS' profile.

Do you want to know more? Read more here if you want to know more about DIIS as a workplace. Questions about salary and employment conditions as well as the application process itself can be addressed to HR at [email protected]. If you have further questions about the content of the position, you can contact Senior Researcher and Head of the Sustainable Development and Governance Unit Lars Engberg-Pedersen at [email protected].

Kilde: Jobnet.dk