Research Associate in the Department of European & International Studies

Job ID: 022244

Salary: £38,304 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Posted: 07-May-2021

Closing date: 15-Jun-2021

Business unit: Social Science & Public Policy

Department: European & International Studies

Contact details: Inga Rademacher, inga.rademacher@kcl.ac.uk

Strand Campus   Research    

Job description
This is an exciting opportunity for a post-doctoral researcher to carry out applied empirical research in political economy within a team of scholars. The research associate (RA) will support research activities related to the Leverhulme Trust Grant “The Political Economy of Growth Models in an Age of Stagnation”. The RA will be working in a team led by Professor Engelbert Stockhammer and Dr Inga Rademacher at the Department of European & International Studies at King’s College London.
 
The project analyses the institutional and macroeconomic sources of divergent growth performances between Anglo-Saxon, northern, and southern European countries after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. It engages with the recent growth models approach to Comparative Political Economy and combines macroeconomic and institutionalist analyses.
 
The RA will be working on the work package on fiscal-monetary relations and their role for cross-country differences in economic growth. This work package investigates (i) changes to fiscal and monetary institutions and policies after the crisis, and (ii) how fiscal-monetary relations fostered different types of growth models across countries. It asks questions such as: Have the differences in the use of unconventional monetary policy prevailed? Have they affected fiscal responses to economic development after the crisis differently? And have responses kicked off new divergent paths in economic growth in the three different country groups?

The work package will develop a theoretical discussion which integrates insights from Post-Keynesian economics and institutionalism. Empirically, it will use a combination of document analysis and expert interviews to examine three countries: Germany, the UK and Spain.  The RA will reach out to the relevant actors in the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the ministries of finance in the three countries (Germany, UK, and Spain) and will assist conducting semi-structured expert interviews with officials.
 
The Department of European & International Studies (EIS) produces world-leading research in the fields of European studies, European politics and International Political Economy. It has a wide range of expertise from modern languages and critical theory to political science, international political economy and heterodox economics. Through the activities of our research groups, EIS provides specific expertise in research designed to understand crisis and the limitations of European and global order.
 
This post will be offered on a full-time, fixed term contract from 1st October 2021 until 31st March 2023 (18 months)

Key responsibilities

• contact relevant actors in the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the ministries of finance in the three countries
• assist in conducting semi-structured expert interviews with officials
• assist in qualitative analysis of interviews using qualitative research programmes (MaxQDA or Nvivo)
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

1. PhD (completed or dissertation submitted) in political science, economic sociology, political economy or a closely related field
2. Experience in conducting and evaluating interview material
3. Interest in political economy
4. Ability to work in a team
5. Efficient communication skills

Desirable criteria 

1. knowledge of qualitative research programmes such as MaxQDA or Nvivo 
2. Familiarity with issues and debates surrounding fiscal and monetary policy 

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
 
We anticipate to interview candidates on 30th June 2021.

For questions about the position please contact: inga.rademacher@kcl.ac.uk