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Postdoctoral researcher in Peace and Conflict Studies/African politics (2-year position)

The Institute of Political Science of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences invites applications for a two-year full-time Postdoctoral Researcher position to work on the project “Countering Jihadi Insurgencies in Africa: Repress, Resist & Reorder (COUNTERRR)”, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and led by Dr. Corinna Jentzsch.

What you will do

About the project: COUNTERRR examines domestic responses to jihadist armed groups in Africa, analysing variation in state repression, community resistance, and the evolution of security across Mali, Nigeria, and Mozambique. Violence by jihadist armed groups poses a distinct threat to social, political, and economic orders across Africa. This project focuses on how domestic actors— governments and affected communities—counter jihadist armed groups operating in three countries. The project explores why these domestic actors choose varied strategies—such as state repression, foreign intervention, nonviolent or violent community resistance—when countering jihadist threats and examines the effects of these strategies on conflict stabilization or escalation. The research methods will combine qualitative cross-country and subnational comparisons with extensive fieldwork in the project countries. Understanding how African countries and affected communities respond to jihadist insurgencies will help international actors to coordinate and adjust their responses to benefit from local knowledge and prevent further escalation of conflict. For more details on the project, please see here. 
About the position: The Postdoctoral Researcher will have the following tasks:
-    Contribute to the project by conducting and publishing high-quality research on government and community responses to the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region, with particular focus on Mali;
-    Closely collaborate with the Principal Investigator and help coordinate research with and supervise the research of two PhDs working on the project (one who focuses on Nigeria, and one who focuses on Mozambique);
-    Present research findings at international conferences and workshops and institute seminars;
-    Assist in research administration and the organization of project-related events (e.g., conferences, workshops, webinars);
-    Actively contribute to the wider institute community by participating in research meetings and collective initiatives;
-    Engage with colleagues beyond your immediate research focus to support knowledge sharing and collaboration and help foster a positive, inclusive work environment;
-    Teaching is possible but not required as part of the position.

Where you will work

What you bring

Candidates are expected to have:

• A recent (or soon to be completed) PhD in Political Science or Conflict Studies, with a strong focus on conflict dynamics in the Sahel (PhD must have been completed by September 2026);
• Demonstrated research experience in the study of armed conflict in the Sahel, preferably with research and fieldwork experience in Mali;
• Excellent command of and experience with qualitative methods (fieldwork including interviewing and participant observation, and the systematic analysis of qualitative data);
• Excellent publication record in international journals;
• Ability and willingness to work independently as well as in a larger team;
• Excellent command of English and French (written and spoken);
• Residence in The Netherlands or willingness to relocate upon starting the position.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer

Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:
▫    The position is offered on the basis of an employment contract for one year, with the possibility of extension for one additional year, subject to satisfactory performance. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
▫    A salary of a minimum of € 4.728 and a maximum of € 5.538 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 11); 
▫    A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
▫    Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week;
▫    Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
▫    If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
▫    A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop;
▫    The university has a new mobility policy. If you commute by public transport within the Netherlands, your commute is 100 % reimbursed.
For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden 

What we value

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.

Want to apply or find out more?

If you want to apply straight away, click the application button.
If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Corinna Jentzsch, Principal Investigator of COUNTERRR, at c.jentzsch@fsw.leidenuniv.nl; if you want to learn more about the procedure, you can contact the secretariate (pol_secr@fsw.leidenuniv.nl). You can apply until March 26th; applications will be processed after the deadline.
The selection procedure will take place between March and May 2026. Selected candidates will first be invited for an online pre-interview; some of these candidates will then be invited to The Hague for an in-person interview (if possible), during which they will be asked to present a preliminary research proposal related to the aims of the COUNTERRR project. You are kindly requested to be available in this period. 
Applicants should submit online: 
•    A letter of interest expressing the motivation for working in the COUNTERRR project (2 pages maximum); 
•    A Curriculum Vitae including a list of publications and fieldwork experience; 
•    Copies of educational diplomas and academic transcripts from prior study (Master’s, PhD); 
•    An academic writing sample (preferably a single-authored paper; if this is a co-authored paper/publication, please clearly state what your contribution to the paper was);
•    The names and contact details of two academic referees who can be asked to comment on the candidate’s professional qualifications and suitability for the position (even if the system asks you to upload the letters, there are no recommendation letters required at this stage). 

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration. 

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden 
▫    We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
▫    A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure. 
▫    Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid