Post-Doc: Manifesting Mandates

The Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) wishes to appoint a full-time Post-Doctoral researcher to carry out research activities related to the United Nations’ Special Political Missions. The PostDoc’s research is part of the project Manifesting Mandates: Navigating Ambiguity in UN Special Political Missions.

What you will do

The Post-Doctoral researcher will be appointed for a period of eighteen months and contribute to the overall development of the project. The candidate is expected to carry out at least one research trip to a selected Special Political Mission of interest, which will be determined on the basis of the expertise of the PostDoc. This must lead to at least one publication in an international peer-reviewed journal. In addition, the candidate is expected to contribute to the conceptual and theoretical development of the overall project and co-author further journal articles with the Principal Investigator. The PostDoc is also expected (for 20% of the contract) to assist with teaching across several programs within the institute.

Key responsibilities

• Create, plan, and execute a research project on a UN Special Political Mission in a country in the Latin America, MENA, or Central Asia region—in line with the objectives of the funded project and in close collaboration with the Principal Investigator.
• Collaborate closely with the Principal Investigator on the team in all research output and project administration.
• Conduct at least one field trip to a Special Political Mission.
• Author at least one international peer-reviewed journal article on the project’s research findings.
• Co-author at least one international peer-reviewed journal article with the Principal Investigator on the project’s research findings.
• Conduct other tasks related to the project as requested by the Principal Investigator.
• Assist in dissemination of project findings through conferences and social media.
• Assist with teaching across several programs within the institute.

Background to the Research Project

Conflict management norms in multilateral fora such as the UN Security Council are in flux. There is ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the future of collective conflict management. This context makes it more difficult for UN peace operations to interpret mandates and political directives, which already tend to be static, ambiguous, and insufficiently contextualised to complex and fast-changing environments.

In this project, we develop two research lines. The first investigates the opportunities and challenges of the UN's Special Political Missions as a potentially promising instrument to both address some of the shortcomings of current templates and generate consensus among UN member states. These missions are more squarely focused on the politics of peace processes, light-footprint, and support the conflict parties in things like mediation and the implementation of peace agreements. They are increasingly being operationalised to manage conflict globally because large military peace operations are no longer considered an option due to their cost, inability to resolve the conflict, and a deficit of viable exit strategies. However, we have relatively little knowledge about what they do, how they function, and how effective they are.

The second research line asks how the staff and leadership operating in Special Political Missions navigate this increased ambiguity. How do SPM staff interpret and action UN mandates at mission level? How can we explain variation in mission level interpretation of top-down directives? How do SPM staff navigate international and regional competition in their mission areas?

To answer these questions, we use a comparative case study across different types of SPMs on three continents. This research contributes to scholarship on how global governance is dealing with the crisis of multilateralism and debates on organisational culture, principal-agent relationships, and micro-level responses to macro-level ambiguity.

Where you will work

The mission of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) is contributing to society through high-quality interdisciplinary education and scientific knowledge. In the heart of The Hague, students and professionals come together to gain knowledge and skills. FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University and includes the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), which specialises in security issues with local, national, transnational and global impact.

What you bring

Selection Criteria: Essential

• PhD degree completed by the time of the appointment, ideally in political science, international relations, international organizations, security studies, or peace and conflict studies. The PhD topic should be related to peace and conflict and/or conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated experience of conducting field research and interviews.
• Demonstrated experience of using qualitative research methods and a willingness to develop expertise in further methodological work.
• Awareness of and/or expertise in the United Nations’ peace operations.
• Country expertise on a relevant country in either Latin America, the MENA region, or Central Asia.
• Ability and availability to travel for field trips.
• Demonstrated experience of working both independently and as part of a team in an organized and results-oriented fashion.
• Excellent command of English (CEFR Level C1 or above).
• You live and are officially registered as resident in The Netherlands or are willing to relocate upon starting the position.

Selection Criteria: Preferred

• Additional language skills, preferably one or more of the official UN languages (specifically Arabic, Chinese, French, or Spanish).
• Expertise in, or familiarity with sociology, anthropology or psychology will be considered an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to publish in international peer-reviewed journals.

What we offer

An employment contract for the duration of 18 months under the CLA of Dutch Universities; a salary of a minimum of €4,728 and a maximum of €6,433 gross per month based on a full-time appointment (38 hours); a holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8.3%), and an attractive pension scheme; full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs; flexible working hours; and options for secondary employment conditions such as hybrid working within the Netherlands.