"Assistant Professor - Diversity and Democracy - Goldman School of Public Policy and the Othering"

Job Details

Assistant Professor - Diversity and Democracy - Goldman School of Public Policy and the Othering & Belonging Institute

Position overview

Position title: Assistant Professor

Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $80,800-$128,700 (9-month academic year salary), however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions.

Anticipated start: 7/1/2026

Application Window

Open date: October 6, 2025

Next review date: Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description

The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) and the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) at the University of California, Berkeley seek applicants for a tenure-track, Assistant Professor appointment in democracy policy. This position is part of a cluster hire through the Othering & Belonging Institute, in which the successful candidate will be an integral part of the Diversity and Democracy Cluster in addition to having a tenure-track faculty appointment in GSPP. OBI's Democracy and Diversity Cluster focuses on three overlapping areas: 1) diversity and identity; 2) diversity, civil society and political action; and 3) legal or philosophical frameworks for diverse democracies. This search has a particular interest in democracy policy - that is, research and teaching that protects, promotes, and delivers on the promises of democracy through public policy.

We seek accomplished scholars who use rigorous methods to study how public policy shapes civic identity, civic participation, and disputes about civic standing. Specific areas of focus can include, but are not limited to: determinants of belonging; the role of educational institutions in promoting democracy and strategies for co-governance; policy implementation and the role of community organizations, bureaucracies, and experts; the courts and legal analysis of voting and election systems, political incorporation and civil rights; and the influence of technology and the broader information environment on civic learning and participation. We welcome applicants from any relevant discipline who use empirical approaches (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) to address issues with clear relevance to contemporary policy challenges. We will prioritize candidates with a strong track-record of research in the areas above or adjacent ones and who contribute actively to our rigorous interdisciplinary, evidence-based community of scholars and practitioners. We will also prioritize candidates who actively disseminate their research to, and learn from, diverse audiences of practitioners, policymakers, and affected communities.

Successful candidates will support and advance the research goals of GSPP's “Democracy Policy” initiative and OBI's Diversity and Democracy Cluster at the University of California, Berkeley. The Democracy Policy initiative and OBI's cluster both aim to build hubs of teaching, practice, and scholarship that examine how public policy shapes democratic processes and institutions, and how those processes and institutions in turn shape public policy. Democracy policies include policies governing elections and voting; speech and expression; policies that shape the functioning of educational institutions wherein quality public education is a gateway public good; information, journalism, and media integrity; civic, social, and political identity; institutional trust and responsive, accountable government; and data and technology.

The successful applicant's faculty home unit will be at GSPP, and the faculty member would also join a dynamic cluster of OBI faculty across academic units who together will connect and advance the study of democracy and diversity on the Berkeley campus. The cluster structure will provide support and cross-disciplinary opportunities intended to foster the success and career development of faculty hired into the cluster.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application): PhD (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Preferred qualifications: Candidates should have a strong track-record of independent and/or collaborative research excellence, experience teaching, and familiarity with or interest in a professional graduate school setting, and a commitment to interdisciplinary perspectives and collegial service. The ideal candidate will be a scholar whose work directly informs urgent policy questions facing democratic societies today.

Application Requirements

Document requirements: Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, Research Statement, Significant Research Sample, Optional Significant Research Sample #1, Optional Significant Research Sample #2, Teaching, Mentoring, and Service Statement, Authorization to Release Information Form.

Reference requirements: 3-5 letters of reference required.

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05162

Help contact: aaschiller@berkeley.edu