Research Associate - The Business of Bordering

Job description:

We have an exciting opportunity for a Danish speaking postdoctoral researcher to join the ESRC funded Business of Bordering Project. The postholder will work under the supervision of Dr. Lucy Mayblin (University of Sheffield), in collaboration with Dr. Joe Turner (University of York) and Dr. Martin Lemberg-Pedersen (University of Southern Denmark).

The Business of Bordering project, starting in September 2026, will focus on the wide range of companies, contracted directly or indirectly by governments, to contribute to border control. The research will focus on the UK and Denmark and how these states are experimenting with, propagating and normalising private border security businesses in their national contexts.

The project entails: building a database of border security tenders and contracts; identifying the institutional mechanisms of democratic scrutiny and accountability of the business of bordering; undertaking critical discourse analysis of policy texts; mapping stakeholders in the border security economy; conducting qualitative field research entailing elite and civil society interviews and participatory observation during border security sector events; and dissemination work.

This post is for a postdoctoral Research Associate (postdoc) to focus on the Danish part of the research. Suitable candidates will be fluent in Danish and have excellent English, and will ideally have knowledge and experience of working with financial datasets, analysis of public/private contracts, and company profiles. Experience of studying border and immigration regimes, the arms trade, or military industrial complex would be beneficial. Training will be provided, but enthusiasm for in depth independent desk based compilation of data in spreadsheets is essential.

For more information about the project please contact Lucy Mayblin (l.mayblin@sheffield.ac.uk)

The School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

The School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations brings together a range of social and political disciplines. We are experts in sociology, social policy, politics and international relations and the digital society. Our world-leading research and teaching directly impacts people, policy, and how societies are organised. We’re committed to addressing inequalities and supporting social and political change. You will especially benefit from the range of activities organised by the Migration Research Group, which is a vibrant community of researchers holding regular events.

What The University of Sheffield offer

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities,a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more at sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits and join us to become part of something special.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

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