Postdoctoral Fellow in Political

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Political Science is an open and socially engaged institution, in the middle of Sweden’s second-largest city and in the middle of the debate. In 2022, the ShanghaiRanking’s Academy of World Universities ranked the department number 1 in Sweden, 5 in Europe and 19 in the world in political science. We are very research-active and offer a lively research environment with several thematic seminar series and internal workshops. Our research revolves around elections, democracy, corruption, forms of government, globalization, the environment, gender and politics, as well as European issues. The department hosts research programs such as the Center for Collective Action Research (CeCAR), the Quality of Government (QoG) Institute, Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), Governance and Local Development (GLD) and the Swedish Electoral Research Program. We offer educational programmes at all levels, undergraduate advanced level and postgraduate level, as well as independent courses. Teaching is given in both Swedish and English. In total, about 1,400 people study with us. The Department of Political Science has around 160 employees.

The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg invites applications for a 3-year postdoctoral positions (100% of full-time), offering applicants an opportunity to join an ambitious research project on political parties.

The research project

The position is part of the project “INTRAPARTY – The Benefits of Conflict: How Factions Can Enhance Political Parties’ Performance ”, led by Ann-Kristin Kölln and funded by an ERC Starting Grant.

The INTRAPARTY project seeks to understand how and when intra-party factions can have positive effects on parties’ electoral performance. The project is theoretically ambitious and seeks to develop a comprehensive understanding of how factions affect voters’ behaviour and how variation across factions and party systems in Western Europe interacts with voters’ party evaluations. The project’s central hypothesis is that factions can have positive effects on a party’s electoral performance by creating representational and reputational ties to voters.

Methodologically, the project seeks to develop cutting-edge research designs with the aim of opening the “black box of intra-party politics.” Drawing on factions’ revealed (internal party documents) and stated preferences (surveys), the project will identify and measure factional structures and, subsequently, study voters’ reactions to them (experimentally and in the real world) across Western Europe. A more detailed project description is available upon request.

Subject area

Political science

Subject area description

Political science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, nation, government, and politics and policies of government on a national and international perspective.

Duties 

The employment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to give the employee an early opportunity to develop his/her independence as a researcher after completing his/her doctoral degree and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The person employed as a postdoctoral fellow must mainly conduct research. Teaching can be included in the work duties, but to a maximum of one-fifth of the working time.

The postdoctoral fellow will be employed at the Political Science Department as part of the INTRAPARTY research group and is expected to engage in collaborative research with Ann-Kristin Kölln and the other members of the group. The postdocs’ efforts will be important to ensuring the success of the project. We expect the successful candidate to design data collection strategies for internal party documents and to subsequently collect, analyse, and (co-)author studies resulting from this data collection effort. We thus expect the postdoc to take a leading role for the first work package of the project, to conduct high-quality research within the context of INTRAPARTY, and to contribute to publications in top outlets. Moreover, as part of the INTRAPARTY research group, the postdoc is expected to provide support for project-related research and organization.

Successful applicants will become part of a cutting-edge research project, a vibrant and supportive research team, and the exciting broader research environment of the Party Research Program and the Gothenburg Research Group on Elections, Public Opinion and Political Behavior (GEPOP). There will be excellent opportunities for intellectual development and mentoring as well as for developing an independent research agenda within the overall context of the project. The project offers funding for conferences, additional training, data collection, and opportunities for developing a strong academic network.

Eligibility

Eligible to be employed as a postdoctoral fellow is someone who has a doctorate in political science or a closely related subject at the latest at the time the employment decision is made. In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years before the end of the application period should be considered. Even those who have completed their degree previously can be considered if there are special reasons.

For more information regarding eligibility please visit The appointment Procedure, GU 2022/38

Assessment

You must have a doctoral degree in preferably political science or related discipline at the latest at the time the employment decision is made. We are looking for you with previous experience of research in connection with the research area described above.

Applicants are expected to hold (or be close to completing) a PhD in political science, political history, political sociology, or another field relevant to the project. A specialization in political parties and/or political representation is an asset. In addition to a keen interest in conducting collaborative research in the INTRAPARTY project, applicants must demonstrate ambition and ability to produce high-quality and high-impact research, both independently and in a team. They need to have an ability to work constructively and effectively as part of an international research team.

Moreover, we expect applicants to have excellent skills in quantitative methods (using R), computational text-as-data approaches, including natural language processing and machine learning, and causal inference. Additional skills in Python and experience with comparative survey data are an asset. We prefer applicants with a strong interest in developing creative methodological solutions and that have ambition and willingness to acquire new methodological skills. Applicants are expected to have an excellent command of spoken and written English. Proficiency in German and/or Dutch will be an asset.

To be successful in this position, you must have an eye for detail, good organizational skills and be able to solve problems. You need to have very high communication and collaboration skills.

Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability for the position. We will make an overall assessment and the applicant who is considered to be best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed to the position.

Employment 

The employment is limited (temporary) for 3 years, 100% of full-time and is currently placed at the Department of Political Science. Starting date: 1st March 2023 or as agreed.

For more information please visit The appointment Procedure, GU 2022/38

Contact information for the post 

If you have questions regarding the employment, or details about the projects in which this position is organized, please contact Ann-Kristin Kölln, ann-kristin.kolln@gu.se .

If you have any questions regarding the employment procedure, please contact Helena Jensen, Helena.Jensen@gu.se

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande  

Application 

To apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to create an account in our recruitment system. Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline. 

We kindly ask you to write your application in English as the application may be reviewed by English-speaking staff. In the selection process, it will likely be relevant with interviews, reference taking and work tests in English.

The application should include the following:

• A letter of application, in which applicants should motivate why they are interested in being part of INTRAPARTY and how they can contribute to the success of the project (maximally 2 pages)
• An outline of potential ideas for research relevant to the focus of the project (2-3 pages, excluding references)
• A CV (including list of publications)
• One writing sample of typical article length
• A list of at least three references (with contact information) who may be contacted at the interview stage

Applications must be received by: 2022-11-15

Interviews are scheduled to take place in the first week of December.

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.