Postdoctoral research fellow in experimental political science (trust-d project)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Political Science (TRUST-D Project)

Department of Politics and International Relations, Manor Road Building, Oxford, OX1 3UQ 

About Us 

The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) is one of Oxford’s largest and most internationally recognised departments, home to around 90 academic staff and a thriving community of researchers and visitors. Ranked the Number One University in the UK for Politics by The Guardian in 2024, the department delivers world-class teaching and research supported by experienced Professional Services teams working across Courses, Research, Finance, HR and Communications. We are strongly committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, including work towards an Athena Swan Bronze Award, and are based in the Social Sciences Building on Manor Road alongside Economics, Criminology, Socio-Legal Studies and the Social Science Library.

What We Offer  

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (pro rata if part time and inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing and additional leave after long service.
  
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
  
• A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle.
  
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
  
• Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
  
• Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.
  

About the Role   

The Centre for Democratic Resilience is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Trust, Participation, and Democratic Resilience (TRUST-D) project led by Professor Petra Schleiter. The project examines how participatory innovations, such as citizens’ assemblies and participatory budgeting, influence long-term political trust. Young voters represent a key group of interest within the larger project.

Working as part of a collaborative research team, the postholder will play a key role in designing and implementing field and survey experiments, analysing data, and contributing to high-quality academic and policy-focused outputs. The role also offers opportunities to engage with policymakers, practitioners and wider stakeholders, while being part of the vibrant research community at the Centre for Democratic Resilience.

About You

You will have experience of designing and delivering quantitative research, with a particular interest in political trust, democratic participation and political behaviour. You will contribute to the design, implementation and analysis of field and survey experiments, helping to generate new insights into the impact of participatory innovations such as citizens’ assemblies, mini-publics and participatory budgeting.

Working closely with Professor Petra Schleiter and project collaborators, you will contribute to high-quality academic research, publications, conference presentations, policy briefs and stakeholder engagement activities. You will thrive in a collaborative research environment and be excited by the opportunity to join the Centre for Democratic Resilience’s vibrant community of researchers, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students.

Furthermore, you must hold, or be close to completion of, a doctorate in political science or a related field.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant community of researchers, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students based at the Centre for Democratic Resilience (CeDR) and contribute to research on political trust and democratic resilience.

This position is a full-time fixed term position available for 30 months from 16th November or as soon as possible thereafter.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact the DPIR HR Team at vacancies @politics.ox.ac.uk .

All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and will not form part of the selection decision.

Application Process

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via the University’s job pages.  You will be required to upload a recent CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

Only applications received before 12 noon (UK time) on Friday 23rd October can be considered. Please quote reference 189091 in all correspondence.

Further information on the application process can be found here: How to apply

Oxford University

DPIR is currently working toward its submission to achieve Bronze Athena Swan status.

Contact Person : DPIR HR Team Vacancy ID : 189091

Contact Phone : Closing Date & Time : 23-Oct-2026 12:00

Pay Scale : RESEARCH GRADE 7 Contact Email : vacancies @politics.ox.ac.uk

Salary (£) : £39,424 - £47,779 per annum

Click on the link(s) below to view documents

Filesize

189091 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Political Science (TRUST-D) - Job Description 2223.7