Job offer Research Associate in Slavery in War (Forced Migration)

Overview

The role falls under the \”Tackling\” strand, and the postholder will be based in the Department of War Studies in the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy. This strand will critically assess interventions aimed at slavery before, during, and after conflicts, to propose new strategies for preventing slavery in warzones, responding during crises, and supporting survivors in post-conflict recovery. Key research questions include: how should interventions to reduce slavery in conflict respond on the ground and in the diplomatic sphere? How have interventions sought to address slavery in and after war? What makes interventions effective in addressing slavery in and after war? How have organisational and governance interventions evolved over time, and what has shaped these changes? How do survivors\\\’ perspectives shape our understanding of how we should prevent and respond to slavery in and and after war? By assessing intervention approaches, evaluating implementation, effectiveness, and impacts, this Centre strand will establish how to incorporate new perspectives into intervention design and develop new tools for stakeholders working to prevent and mitigate slavery in war. The focus of this post is on the intersections of forced migration, slavery and war. We are especially interested in candidates who bring critical perspectives and expertise in collaborative, participatory methodologies to the role. The role-holder will work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team, as well as undertaking independent research. They will use approaches, methodologies, and techniques appropriate to the research. Specific projects will be identified in line with the role-holder\\\’s expertise and skills, as well as Centre need, and are expected to include, at varying points in the role:

Responsibilities

• Planning and conducting both independent and collaborative research using recognised and innovative approaches, methodologies and techniques within the research area, integrating forced migration, conflict and slavery studies.
• Development of co-creative, participatory research methods to conduct collaborative research
• Development of research ethics application and ongoing reflection on and contribution to research ethics processes.
• Writing outputs, including academic articles and outputs for broader audiences
• Contribute to the Centre\\\’s Lived Experience Engagement activities and structures
• Engaging with theoretical and definitional insights, including from other Centre strands.
• Leading team sessions on current developments and best practices in own research area.
• Participating in ECR cohort-wide initiatives and professional development.
• Organising and contributing to workshops, conferences, and other engagement and dissemination activities.
• Engaging with stakeholders and contributing to the development of strategic partnerships.
• The role-holder will have the opportunity to use their initiative and creativity to identify areas for research, develop research methods and extend their research portfolio within the thematic area of slavery in war. They will have a public-facing role and represent the team externally. There will be opportunities to work collaboratively with people who have lived experience of slavery, trafficking, and exploitation in conflict settings.

Qualifications

1. This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/12/2027. This wording is retained from the original listing and should be presented as contextual information instead of a job requirement.
2. PhD in International Relations, Migration Studies or closely related subject area
3. Significant research expertise in forced migration in relation to war, conflict, trafficking and/or slavery
4. A track record of publication in forced migration, slavery, trafficking, war and/or conflict
5. Strong skills in collaborative, participatory research methods
6. Proven track record in planning and managing to completion research activity and meeting own/team research objectives and deadlines in collaboration with others
7. Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information with clarity
8. Strong organisational and project management skills and experience in the organisation of events

1. Experience in engagement with non-academic audiences
2. Experience in working with people with lived experience of forced migration, war and/or slavery
3. Strong skills in arts-based research methods

This role is one of several new roles being recruited under the new Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War, which is based in the School of Security Studies, King\\\’s College London. The new Centre is structured around four interconnected research strands-(Re)conceptualising, Understanding, Forecasting and Tackling-and aims for far-reaching, historically informed insights that transform understandings of war and global responses to modern slavery in conflict settings.