Post title: Assistant Professor in Quantitative Comparative Politics

Vacancy Reference: SGIA19-4

We are recruiting an outstanding candidate for an Assistant Professorship in Quantitative Comparative Politics to join Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs during a period of major expansion.

Ideal candidates will have an established or rapidly developing record of publications in leading political science journals and/or with highly regarded presses, and clear plans to develop their research over the next five years that will place them at the forefront of substantive and methodological debates in comparative politics. We are open-minded in relation to substantive and geographical focus, emphasising the excellence of research above all, and the use of innovative and ambitious quantitative empirical research, such as (quasi-)experimental methods, quantitative text analysis, or machine learning, to address important political questions.

The successful candidate will join colleagues in the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour, which provides a stimulating and supportive environment for developing and refining research projects and outputs, networking with colleagues within and beyond Durham, and pump-priming financial support. All staff have access to excellent individual research support and Durham University’s wealth of research resources, as appropriate for a University that aims to be firmly within the world’s elite.

As well as research excellence, the successful applicant will lead undergraduate and postgraduate education, working with highly qualified students and an exceptionally diverse postgraduate community of over 200 people from 50 countries. You will pioneer educational initiatives within our degree programmes, and supervise individual student projects that create an outstanding educational experience that helps to make our students amongst the most successful and employable in the UK. Professional development as an educator is a priority for the School and the University, with dedicated support via a new Centre for Academic Development launched in 2018-19.

SGIA is at the heart of Durham University’s expansion plans until 2026-27, by which point we anticipate having 50-55 core academic staff, up from 29 in 2017-18. SGIA aims to be amongst the world’s top 40 and the UK’s top 10 units in the field by the completion of our expansion, and approximately 30% of our core research-active academic staff will be working with advanced quantitative methods, linked to the Durham Research Methods Centre established in January 2019. SGIA plans to be amongst the most diverse and inclusive departments in the UK, too. Our academic community ethos stresses equality and we will provide an environment that supports all its members effectively and equally.

Durham is consistently rated amongst the five most successful UK Universities. Durham is probably England’s most beautiful small city, with a World Heritage Site at its core featuring 11^th Century Cathedral and Castle. The wider county has exceptional countryside, and Newcastle upon Tyne, arguably northern England’s most exciting city, is fifteen miles north. There are excellent transport links to Edinburgh (100 minutes by train) and London (180 minutes by train). Regional airports 40 minutes from Durham establish good connections to major European cities and key hubs for long-haul destinations.