Research Assistant

This role is part time (0.2FTE), fixed term for 12 months.

Closing date: 23:59 on 30th October 2026

Interview date: 13th November 2026, the interview will include a presentation during the interview slot.

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. The successful candidate(s) will have to ensure that they have the right to work in the UK or be able to secure this through another means without the sponsorship of the University. Further information about sponsorship is available on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The Department of Politics and International Relations seeks to appoint a Research Assistant to support and contribute to the European Research Council (ERC) project Political Parties in Africa and Democracy (PPADEM). PPADEM is an international research collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Bristol, and University of Reading.

The project is designed to discover the key drivers of democratic decline and democratic progress in Africa, by undertaking the largest empirical study of political parties ever carried out anywhere in the world. We ask: (1) What role do political parties play in the process of democratisation in Africa? (2) Under what conditions do they make positive or negative contributions toward defending and expanding democracy? And (3) How can political parties across Africa be supported to help counter the decline of democracy on the continent?

The successful candidate will join an international team of senior and early-career scholars working on political parties, democratic institutions and African politics.They will contribute to building and analysing the project’s cross-national multi-level data set, with opportunities to present co-authored or sole-authored publications at workshops and conferences with an aim to publish in leading peer-reviewed journals. Starting date – as early as possible. The PPADEM research assistant position is for one year, subject to regular evaluation of tasks fulfilled.

Main activities / Responsibilities

• Collect, code, enter, check and clean country and organizational level data on African political parties (e.g. archival research including coding of party histories, constitutions, campaign materials and survey data)
• Identify and code features of elite-level party representatives (e.g. demographic backgrounds, social media presence, etc.)
• Assist in preparation of research instruments for party headquarters and branch studies, and constituency elite survey
• Analyse citizen and expert survey data (e.g. Afrobarometer and V-Party)
• Assist with organisation of project events such as planning meetings and research seminars
• Support project website, and manuscript preparation and publication activities

Contact details: Dr Matthias Krönke, Lecturer in Comparative Politics, m.w.kroenke@reading.ac.uk 

We welcome applications from both external and internal candidates. As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role can be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Internal candidates should discuss this with their line manager prior to applying.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

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