Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science with an orientation towards regulation of transnational companies

at the Department of Political Science. Closing date: 13 May 2024.

The Department of Political Science is a dynamic and strong education- and research department at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University. The Department aims to be nationally leading and internationally prominent within its field of research and education.

Project description
The postdoctoral postion will be part of the 4-year research project ”Corporate Accountability in Global Supply Chains? The Effectiveness of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Regulations”, funded by the Wallenberg Foundation. The project focuses on a new trend wherein mainly European states have adopted regulations building on a human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) approach. These laws have often been portrayed as a groundbreaking opportunity to hold transnational companies responsible for different types of human rights and environmental problems that occur in production processes. However, there is little knowledge about the real prospects of such laws to effectively address corporate misconduct and provide victims with access to remedy.

The overarching aim of the project is to examine to what extent and under what circumstances HREDD regulations effectively contribute to enhance corporate accountability in global supply chains. The project focuses on the implementation and enforcement of four HREDD regulations that have entered into force to date: the French Duty of Vigilance law (2017); the German Supply Chain Act Due Diligence Law (2021); the Norwegian Transparency Act (2021); and the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (2023). The project is led by Maria-Therese Gustafsson at the Department of Political Science at Stockholms Universitet and Almut Schilling-Vacaflor at the Department of Business and Social Sciences at FAU University Erlangen-Nürnberg.

Main responsibilities
The main responsibilities for the postdoctoral fellow is to conduct research within the research project in collaboration with other research participants. The tasks include data collection, interviews, fieldwork, analysis, and dissemination of results through scholarly journals and conferences as well as project coordination. The position involves up to 20 percent teaching.

Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.

Assessment criteria
The degree must have been completed at latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the closing date. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special reasons refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in Political Science or related disciplines with a background in international politics, environmental- and sustainability governance, and/or human rights. Experience in studying regulations of multinational companies is considered a merit. We are particularly interested in candidates with a background in qualitative methods background, such as qualitative comparative method, interviews, and documentanalysis. Additional merits include the ability to collaborate in an international cross-disciplinary team of researchers. The candidate must have excellent skills in academic written English.

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date 2024-08-01 or as per agreement.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Maria-Therese Gustafsson, telephone +46 707 16 44 07, maria-therese.gustafsson@statsvet.su.se.

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/OFR), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, and seko@seko.su.se (SEKO).

Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
• Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
  – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
  – why and how you wish to complete the project
  – what makes you suitable for the project in question
• Copy of PhD diploma
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
• Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.