Research Assistant (Department of Political Science)

Job Description

The Department of Political Science at National University of Singapore (NUS) invites application for ONE full-time Research Assistant to work on a Social Science and Humanities Research (SSHR) Fellowship project, “After Victory: Governance Outcomes, Political Stability, and Institutional Reform in East and Southeast Asia,” directed by the Principal Investigator (PI), Assistant Professor Elvin Ong. The position will be based in Singapore with an intended start date of 1 September 2026 for a period of one year in the first instance, renewable on satisfactory review for a further one year (up to two years in total).

Funded by a SSHR Fellowship from Singapore’s Social Science Research Council, “After Victory” aims to examine the role of newly victorious opposition parties after they have defeated a long dominant autocratic incumbent. Specifically, it seeks to analyze comparatively and historically the divergent experiences and trajectories of first electoral turnovers across countries in East and Southeast Asia in terms of their governance outcomes, political stability, and institutional reforms.

The successful applicant will be offered a contract of 12 months from the date of hire. S/he will receive an attractive monthly remuneration depending on experience and qualifications. S/he will be considered a full-time staff member of the National University of Singapore, applicable for staff benefits such as medical coverage, a fixed amount in a flexible spending account for health-related expenses, vacation leave, corporate discounts, and staff concession rates for part-time government subsidized graduate programmes offered by NUS. The position will be based in Singapore, although some research travel may be permitted. Singapore citizens and permanent residents are eligible for Central Provident Fund benefits.

Scope and Responsibilities

1. Independently collect and manage primary and/or secondary sources.
2. Support in editing and proofreading documents and manuscripts.
3. Prepare presentation materials for meetings, conferences, etc.
4. Contribute to papers, book chapters, research reports, etc.
5. Ad hoc administrative and research tasks.

Qualifications

1. At least a second upper class degree in Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Asian Studies or equivalent. Candidates with no experience are welcome to apply.
2. Experience in conducting archival research and elite interviews will be preferred.
3. Experience in conducting data visualization and statistical analyses using STATA or R will be highly advantageous.
4. Multilingual ability to read primary archival material (such as official government documents, books, or hand-written notes) in any one of the following languages is required: Traditional Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, Bahasa Melayu, Korean, or Japanese.

Other Competencies

1. Excellent writing and strong communication skills in English, including an ability to present research in both academic and non-academic venues
2. Culturally sensitive to working with different kinds of people from all over the world
3. Meticulous and has good project management skills
4. Curiosity and passion to explore new concepts, methodologies and technologies
5. Capable of identifying and learning quickly the most suitable tools for the research
6. Good team player and ability to multitask effectively