Research Fellow (South-East Asia)

For informal enquiries, please contact Lena Rethel (Professor) at L.Rethel@warwick.ac.uk.

Applications are invited for the role of Research Fellow as part of the UKRI Frontier Research Grant (ERC Consolidator Grant conversion) project “FINDEM – The Politics of Financial Citizenship”, led by Professor Lena Rethel, in the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) at the University of Warwick. The project examines how middle-class expectations shape financial policy and politics in emerging market democracies, with a focus on Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Nigeria and/or Ghana).

The successful candidate will be expected to support theoretical innovation around key concepts such as financial citizenship, financial development and the financialisation of social policy provision, contribute to data collection and conduct fieldwork in Indonesia and Malaysia, lead on academic outputs (research articles, edited volume) and work collaboratively with an international team of scholars in the interdisciplinary field of international political economy.

Please note that it is a University of Warwick requirement that you reside in the UK outside fieldwork periods; no exemptions can be made.

About You  

The Research Fellow will undertake research under the PI’s guidance and will receive appropriate training on methods from the PI, Senior Team Members and the host institution. The research fellow will co-author with the PI and other research team members, lead own project publications and play a significant part in disseminating the results of the project at conferences and policy reports. The research fellow should have expertise in conducting fieldwork in Indonesia and/or Malaysia and an academic background in one or more of the following areas comparative politics, international political economy or a related discipline.

For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification section of the attached job description.

If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure. Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure. 

About the Department  

PAIS is one of the UK’s leading Politics and International Studies departments: in the 2023 The Times/The Sunday Times Good University Guide PAIS ranked 2nd of the 80 UK Politics Departments; in REF2021 and REF2014 we were awarded 100% 4* for research environment; and since 2016 PAIS has ranked as number 1 or 2 for ‘overall satisfaction’ in Russell Group for Politics in the National Student Survey (NSS).

Our organisational aim is to be a diverse and inclusive community of students, academic and professional services colleagues that is geared towards embedding the values of dignity, equality, freedom, and justice in our practices, including widening opportunity for both students and staff.

PAIS values diversity, aims to challenge discrimination, and promotes equality. We are committed to strengthening our equality, diversity and inclusion agenda in relation to our community (students and staff), our research and teaching practices, and our curricula. Applications are particularly encouraged from groups that are presently under-represented in PAIS, including individuals who identify as Black, Asian and other under-represented ethnicities, women, those who are disabled, those who identify as LGBTQUA+ people, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We are committed to supporting all our staff in their work in PAIS.

To find out more about the department please visit our website:  https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/

About the University  

Born in the 60s with a mindset of boldness, imagination and collaboration, the University of Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We’re one of the world’s top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK*, with 92% of our research assessed to be ‘world leading or internationally excellent’**. 

You'll be joining a diverse, innovative and globally connected community committed to igniting real world progress. Here at Warwick, we offer you opportunities to follow your ambitions as long as you bring the energy and determination to succeed.

*QS World University Rankings 2024

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

To find out more about us visit our website.

How to Apply  

CLOSING DATE: Thursday 30 January 2025 at 11.55pm

To apply, please click ‘Apply’ below and submit an application form by the closing date. Please plan for any potential delays as you will not be able to submit an application past this deadline (even if you opened the form at, say, 11.30pm).

Please attach a CV and cover letter.

• Your CV should include your most recent employment experience, any other relevant experience, and education history.
• Your cover letter must detail how you meet each of the essential criteria found in the Job Description document below (desirable criteria too, where possible).

Please see here for guidance on writing a cover letter. We highly recommend using individual criteria as headers and giving examples below, though you are free to format the letter as you wish.

To streamline our hiring processes, we can only accept applications via our official website, warwick-careers.tal.net.

Interview Date: TBC

Start Date: TBC

What we Offer  

We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, 30 days holiday plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities. 

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer you access to flexible working, for more information click here. 

We are proud to say that we are a Living Wage employer.

If you are considering relocating to the UK, read our Relocation Guide to find out more about what Warwick has to offer and what might be involved in the process.

Our Commitment to Inclusion  

Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment.  We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued.  Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social, and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here. 

The University currently holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Athena Swan Sliver Award and a Disability Smart Bronze Award. The University of Warwick is also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance. 

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with. 

In line with the DBS Code of Practice, the successful candidates for any roles involving regulated activity, will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. The University will take all necessary measures to ensure that any individual subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group specified (i.e. children and/or adults).

We expect all employees, volunteers, and partners to share our commitment to safeguarding.

Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders

The University undertakes not to discriminate against anyone who makes a disclosure relating to a conviction. The information disclosed at application stage is only visible to the central DBS team (i.e. not recruiting managers) to ensure there is no bias during the shortlisting process.

Job Description  

JD Research Fellow (South-East Asia) (109978).pdf – 179KB Opens in a new window

Right to Work in the UK   

If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, please follow this link which contains further information about obtaining the right to work in the UK.