About

At the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, scholars conduct research on fundamental questions and current problems of international law, Union law, and the public law of various states, together with numerous visiting researchers from all over the world. In the middle of Berlin, in the WissenschaftsForum at the Gendarmenmarkt, the Institute is represented by a capital city office. Here we seek dialogue with other scholars, but also with politics, business, culture and the media, and with the Institute's alumni and alumnae.

Your tasks

The research project investigates the contested processes of meaning-giving and interpretation of the norm of human rights due diligence (HRDD) by the variety of norm entrepreneurs in the business & human rights regime. It studies how contestation over divergent expectations and understandings 
attributed to HRDD shape the norm. It focuses on four themes of contestation: (1) the norm’s soft and hard law dimensions, (2) the attribution of responsibility to regulate and conduct HRDD to public and private actors, (3) the degree of generality vs sectoral and issue-specificity of HRDD, and (4) the relationship between HRDD and legal liability. The Research Fellow will conduct individual qualitative empirical research, contribute to joint projects, events, and the dissemination of research output. The position entails no teaching requirements.

Your profile

• Master’s degree and a completed (or close to submission) PhD in Political Science, International 
  Relations or a related area
• First experience with publications / outstanding analytical and writing skills
• High motivation for academic work
• Excellent command of English (German is an asset)
• Research experience in at least one of the following areas: (a) IR norms research, b) business and human rights, (c) human rights due diligence
• Experience with qualitative research methods

Your benefits

• Salary group 13 of the German public service pay scheme (TVöD-Bund)
• A dynamic and interdisciplinary team that forms part of the vibrant international research community at one of Europe’s most renowned public law institutes.

Your application

Please send your application documents (in English or German) including a cover letter, a curriculum vitae including a list of publications, academic certificates (PhD and M.A. diploma) and a reading sample (paper, book chapter or manuscript), exclusively by e-mail and summarized into a single PDF file (plus reading sample in a separate file) by June 10th 2022 to: bewerbungen@mpil.de. The documents will be deleted after the application process. The interviews will take place during June/July in Heidelberg. 
Application expenses cannot be covered. 

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