Postdoctoral Researcher: Rebel Victory and State Building in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

1. Introduction

The Centre for International Conflict Analysis and Management (CICAM), part of the Department of Political Science at Radboud University, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on the 'Commander Politics: Cooperation and Competition in Civil War' project, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and led by Dr Romain Malejacq, the project's principal investigator (PI).  

2. Job description

The project investigates different components of rebel victory (e.g. army, bureaucracy, diplomacy) in a wide variety of settings (from Algeria to Afghanistan to Kosovo), with a more specific interest in the role of commanders in rebel-to-state transitions. The PI focuses on rebel victory and state building in post-2021 (and post-1996) Afghanistan. You will be working in close cooperation with the PI, from designing project components and organising research in Afghanistan, to collecting and analysing relevant data, to co-authoring related publications. You will coordinate with the PI and his team in weekly meetings as well as potentially collaborate with other team members (PhD candidates, research assistants, post-docs, etc.).  

Throughout the project, you will also have the opportunity to engage in knowledge valorisation activities such as briefings to policymakers. 

Supervision will be provided by Dr Mathijs van Leeuwen and Dr Romain Malejacq.

3. Profile

Requirements: 

• You have a PhD in Political Science/International Relations (or a related discipline).
• You have achieved academic excellence, as evidenced by grade transcripts and your CV.
• You have a strong command of qualitative social science research methods. 
• You are fluent in English (excellent oral and written communication skills).
• You are able to work both independently and in a team.

Desirable:

• You have experience conducting elite interviews and/or research in difficult, authoritarian, and/or conflict-affected settings.
• You have expertise in research on political violence, state building and state formation, and/or authoritarianism.
• You have a strong command of other social science research methods. 
• You are willing to conduct research in Afghanistan.
• You are fluent in Dari/Farsi and/or Pashto. 

4. We are

The Nijmegen School of Management enables students, institutions and companies, societal actors and governments to play their part in a transformation towards sustainable societies. In doing so, the faculty is committed to Radboud University's mission of contributing to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. 

In the context of our 'Responsible governance for sustainable societies' mission, we address scientific and societal challenges. Our work focuses on the topics Beyond Economy, Climate, Inclusivity, Safety, and Democracy.

At the Nijmegen School of Management, academic research and teaching are carried out in challenging educational programmes. These programmes are offered in the areas of business administration, economics and business economics, geography, planning and environment, political science, and public administration. Academic research takes place within the Institute for Management Research (IMR). Research is carried out within the above-mentioned domains and in interdisciplinary research groups: the Hot Spots. NSM currently has 350 FTE staff and approximately 5,000 students.

The Political Science Chair group is built around two Chairs: Empirical Political Science and International Relations, the latter including Peace and Conflict Studies. The chair group offers a Bachelor's degree programme in Political Science and six Master's degree tracks, each leading to a Master's degree in Political Science. The educational programme is characterised by small-scale teaching and provides a stimulating learning environment with an emphasis on the development of academic skills.

The Centre for International Conflict Analysis and Management (CICAM) is part of the chair group of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Department of Political Science. The PhD Candidate position will be based at CICAM. CICAM is a multidisciplinary institute, conducting academic research and offering education in the field of conflict, peace and intervention in conflict-affected settings, aimed at students across Radboud University. CICAM actively engages in societal services regarding these themes (creating awareness, informing, advising).

The research activities of the Nijmegen School of Management (NSM) fall under the responsibility of the interdisciplinary Institute for Management Research (IMR). Under the motto 'Responsible governance for sustainable societies', IMR focuses on academic research into the development, design and effectiveness of the public and private structures that regulate, govern or manage human interactions. The academic debate is organised in the IMR Academy; the PhD programme is organised in the IMR Doctoral School. In addition to the interdisciplinary research programme on Responsible Organisation, there are six multidisciplinary research groups at IMR, which are linked to strategic and scientifically and societally relevant issues. IMR also hosts the Individual Decision lab and the Group Decision lab, which are especially suited for studying collaboration in complex contexts and collective decision-making.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 2 years.
• Your salary within salary scale 10 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to dr. Romain Malejacq. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Monday 23 September. Any second interview will take place on Monday 30 September. You will preferably start your employment on 1 January 2025.  

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.