Associate Professorship of Causal and Experimental Methods in Politics and Social Policy

The Department of Social Policy and Intervention and the Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods (CASSM) at the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) together with the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI) are seeking to appoint an Associate Professor of Causal and Experimental Methods in Politics and Social Policy. This is a joint appointment with St Catherine’s College, where the postholder will be appointed to a Fellowship by Special Election.

The successful candidate will be expected to conduct internationally excellent research in experimental methods at the intersection of politics and social policy. They will also teach and supervise at the graduate level; contribute to admissions, examining, and assessment; and contribute fully to academic administration in DSPI, the DPIR and St Catherine’s College The post-holder will be based in CASSM at DPIR and is expected to divide their time equally between duties in DSPI and DPIR.

We welcome applications from candidates with a research profile in fields such as causal methods, experimental and quasi experimental methods, including field experiments and impact evaluation, in areas of social policy, social interventions, and political science. While formal training in political science is not required, applicants should demonstrate a capacity to engage with and contribute to political science literature and work in social policy and social interventions.

The successful candidate will be expected to undertake innovative research that combines advanced casual methods, experimental and quasi experimental methods with important insights for questions of politics and social policy. Applications are particularly from candidates with substantive interests in any of the following: the social policy of the Global South, public health, education, social policy innovations, social interventions, poverty, social, gender, or economic inequality, policing and other areas related to human welfare or wellbeing. We also strongly encourage applications from women and/or candidates from a BME background as they are currently under-represented in academic posts.

This post is available from 1 September 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. This is a permanent appointment (subject to successful review during the initial period of office). 

If you would like to discuss this post and find out more about joining the academic community at Oxford, please contact Professor Kenneth Nelson, Head of Department of DSPI (kenneth.nelson@spi.ox.ac.uk) or Professor Ben Ansell, the Director of CASSM (ben.ansell@politics.ox.ac.uk). All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and will not form part of the selection decision. 

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a CV and a cover letter, and a separate research statement and teaching statement. You are also required to arrange for three referees to submit confidential reference letters directly to vacancies@politics.ox.ac.uk by the stated deadline for applications. You will also be asked to state which referees these are on your online application. 

Circumstances such as caring responsibilities, ill health or disability may result in the quantity of a candidate's outputs being less than might otherwise be expected, therefore when considering candidate's research and publication record, career breaks will be taken into consideration.

Only applications received before 12:00 midday (UK time) on Monday 27 April 2026 can be considered. Please quote reference 185443 in all correspondence.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.

Salary (£): University salary from £58,265 - £77,645 per annum which is inclusive of an Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 p.a.

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