Research Assistant

About us

Based at the UCL Faculty of Laws, the Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism (GCDC) seeks to advance scholarly understanding of the relationship between democratic government and the rule of law in domestic, comparative and transnational perspective, with a particular focus on identifying the supporting conditions for constitutional resilience in electorally competitive political systems.

The GCDC commenced operations in the 2024-25 academic year, with funding from the Leverhulme Trust. The Centre’s programme of activities consists of internal and external research seminars, high-profile lectures, international conferences and the regular convening of a scholarly research community. In addition to the permanent membership, the Centre also hosts fellows, postdoctoral researchers and an active cohort of doctoral candidates.

About the role

The Research Assistant will contribute high-quality research support to assist the delivery of the Centre’s research agenda. This will include editorial assistance for research outputs, assisting with preparation of and reporting for grant applications, as well as ad hoc legal research and assistance. The Research Assistant will support the Centre’s Research Fellows as well as Faculty members.

The role will also assist the daily operations of the Centre, through (for example) maintaining the Centre’s website and social media accounts, writing up events and blog posts, assisting with event set-up, managing the Centre’s inbox, keeping contact lists up-to-date, drafting letters and other documents, and compiling the annual report.

This role is available and expected to start from 09 September 2026 and is funded by the Leverhulme Trust for 12 months in the first instance. Appointment to the role is subject to final approval by the Leverhulme Trust.

The deadline for applications is 24 May and interviews will likely be held in the week commencing 15 June 2026.

About you

The successful candidate will hold a degree (or equivalent) in Law and be able to demonstrate a keen interest in the field of comparative public law or constitutional studies, with a good knowledge of legal research methods. They will possess strong organisational skills and be able to work independently to prioritise tasks in the face of competing deadlines.

The successful candidate will have the ability to communicate appropriately and, both verbally and in writing, to convey important and complex information to a range of audiences, and effectively be able to develop strong working relationships with Centre and Faculty staff, to contribute as an effective team member.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits, visit Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/.

Customer advert reference: B03-03049

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