Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) in the “Ending External Interventions” project

The German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) / Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien is an independent social-science research institute based in Hamburg. It analyses political, social and economic developments in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and links this knowledge to questions of global significance. It combines region-specific analysis with innovative comparative research on accountability and participation, peace and security, globalisation and development, and global orders and foreign policies. The GIGA seeks to appoint a

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d)
in the “Ending External Interventions” project

Applications are invited for a full-time position, with a contract of three years. The contract shall commence (preferred date) as of 1 September 2026. The position is designed for further professional qualification as defined in § 2 WissZeitVG (Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act). The salary is commensurate with EG 13 TV-AVH / TVöD.

The successful candidate will work in the project “Ending External Interventions: Success, Failure and Exit Dilemmas” (funded by the Leibniz Competition) alongside two Doctoral Research Fellows and the Principal Investigator. The project is motivated by the question: How does the success or failure of external interventions affect their termination and post-exit legacies? Research on sanctions, peacekeeping missions, and military operations has addressed the effectiveness of these different types of intervention, but knowledge on exit decisions and post-exit legacies remains limited. The project will thus analyse the causes, processes, and consequences of ending external interventions.

The successful candidate will co-design, implement and analyse survey experiments or engage in other advanced statistical analyses on topics relevant to the project and will be involved in supervising research assistants during the coding for the novel dataset. This position will also contribute to the project team’s coordination as well as the organisation of workshops and other events. Beyond these immediate project responsibilities, the successful candidate will have ample opportunity to develop their own research agenda. The successful candidate will benefit from mentoring, opportunities to expand their academic network via conferences/workshops, and access to funding for methods and soft-skills training. There are no teaching obligations for this position, but it will be possible to teach at Leuphana University of Lüneburg or one of GIGA’s other partner universities if so desired by the successful candidate.

Mandatory qualifications:

• A doctoral degree (or submitted by time of appointment) in Political Science, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related discipline
• Knowledge of or keen interest in the topic of external interventions in armed conflict
• Emerging track record of publication in leading peer-reviewed journals in the field
• Expertise in advanced quantitative methods, for example in survey experiments, natural experiments, or other approaches to causal inference
• Strong command of spoken and written English; German-language skills are not a prerequisite
• Strong team spirit, organisational skills, and ability to work independently

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with policy-exchange and knowledge-transfer activities

Part-time options will be considered, if so desired by the successful candidate. We strongly welcome international applications. Diversity and the reconciliation of work and family life are of great importance to the institute. The GIGA promotes the equality of all genders. Additionally, we actively encourage applications from persons with disabilities.

Please fill out the application form and send it together with your full application, including relevant supporting documentation (cover letter, CV (including a list of publications), other credentials/diplomas/certificates), as one document to the below address. Applicants are kindly requested to submit a brief plan outlining their intended research within the scope of the project (max. 2 pages) as part of the application. Please also provide one work sample as a separate PDF. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide 1-2 letters of reference.

German Institute for Global and Area Studies
Neuer Jungfernstieg 21
Email: jobs-26-06@giga-hamburg.de (email applications are particularly welcome).

Screening of applications will begin on 12 June 2026. Interviews are scheduled to take place on 29 June 2026 at the GIGA in Hamburg, Germany.

For further information, please visit the GIGA website (https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en) and project website https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/research-and-transfer/projects/ending-external-interventions-success-failure-and-exit-dilemmas or contact Prof. Dr. Julia Grauvogel (email: julia.grauvogel@giga-hamburg.de).