Teaching and Research Fellow in Character and Leadership

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.

About the Role  

The Teaching and Research Fellow will (i) contribute to the development and delivery of educational programmes in character-based leadership, particularly for university students; (ii) engage in research on character and leadership. The postholder will work collaboratively as part of the Oxford Character Project, which sits within the Programme for Global Leadership at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations.

The Oxford Character Project (OCP) explores how leadership can be a force for good in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world, with a distinctive focus on the role of character. Through conceptual and empirical research, the OCP investigates the importance of character for good leadership and how virtues of character can be effectively cultivated across diverse institutional context

About You

The successful applicant will design and refine programme content and teaching materials, drawing on the Oxford Character Project’s theoretical and empirical research. You will also manage student programmes by recruiting participants, facilitating workshops, hosting guest speakers, and overseeing events and associated administration. In addition, you will undertake collaborative theoretical and empirical research into character and leadership development, and design and conduct quantitative and qualitative studies to gather participant feedback and evaluate programme impact.

You will hold of be close to be completion of a doctoral degree in the humanities or social sciences relating to character education and leadership development. You will also have a strong track record in character and leadership education, supported by excellent theoretical and empirical knowledge in these fields, and also bring expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods suited to studying character and leadership development.

This position is full-time and fixed-term for 2 years and available from 1 September 2026.

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 3 July 2026 can be considered. Please quote reference 186648 in all correspondence.

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

The interview process is due to begin w/c 13 July 2026.

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

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