Period: 3-year fixed contract starting on 15 June 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter (according to the appointed person’s time schedule and the time of obtaining the working permit in Romania)
Number of Hours per Month: Full Time (8h/day)
Salary: 1850 Euro Net / month (health insurance, pension, and taxes included).
Description of the Project: CORPACCOUNT examines/explores transnational mobilisations and counter-mobilisations for holding multinational corporations and their representatives accountable for complicity in major international crimes (genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity) committed during dictatorships and violent conflicts since the 1970s. It focuses on three major innovations to the current literature on corporate accountability: 1) It will deliver a critical sociological analysis of both advocacy movements and business groups and associations involved in transnational accountability campaigns, studying their political, professional and regional activist agendas and divergent approaches to corporate liability. 2) It will analyse various ideas and strategies of dealing with corporate violence and illuminates the socio-political conditions under which they succeed in enforcing accountability. 3) It will explore how different visions of human rights, economic globalisation, development and democratisation shape accountability strategies. The research centres on four types of transnational campaigns that spread across the Global South and the Global North and on the resulting response from states, international organisations, and business groups: a) advocacy for criminalising corporate misconduct in international/regional treaties; b) civil and criminal litigations; c) legislative initiatives for prohibiting trade with and investment in dictatorial settings; and d) boycotts. The project will examine different historical, political and geographical contexts from anti-Apartheid mobilisations to corporate accountability in Latin America after the military dictatorships, African contexts such as Sudan and Nigeria, and Asia countries such as Myanmar.
Role: We aim to recruit 3 researchers working as following:
- Researcher 1 will work on the contributions of NGOs’ coalitions & and business associations / groups in attempts to criminalize corporate complicity in core international crimes in international treaties, such as the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (and its 2010 Kampala Protocols); the 2014 Malabo Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights; and the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights, etc.
- Researcher 2 will work on divestment campaigns, selective purchasing laws, and efforts to prohibit business with dictatorships in contexts such as the Apartheid regime in the 1980s, the Myanmar dictatorship in the 1990s, and the Sudanese government in the 2000s, but not only. Research on other contexts is welcome.
- Researcher 3 will work on boycotts that seek to mobilise consumers to pressure companies to address their misconduct, among which those against Polaroid, CocaCola, and Shell for alleged complicity in international crimes committed during the Apartheid regime, the Colombian conflict and the Nigerian dictatorship, as well as business responses to these boycotts. Research on other contexts is welcome.
Researchers will develop their own perspectives on the topic, add new case-studies to those mentioned above and publish their own scholarship in major international journals and books. They will also play a full role in the collaborative aspects of the project, including international conferences and events, co-authored and co-edited publications, developing website content, and public engagement opportunities. The posts include a generous annual research and travel allowance and funding for IT equipment. Mentoring and training will be available, along with opportunities to develop international networks. Researchers will be based in Bucharest to foster collective interdisciplinary research and methodology, and they will undertake regular trips for empirical research and workshops/conferences in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Conditions for applying:
- PhD in political science, sociology, law, history, or anthropology.
- A strong academic track record with significant experience of conducting research on (transnational) social movements, corporate accountability, transitional justice, sociology of international law, or transnational politics / activism, preferably including archival and oral history approaches.
- Excellent English language. A second language is an asset.
- Research experience on Africa, Asia, and Latin America constitute an advantage
Candidates are asked to submit the following documents at corpaccount@politice.ro Only applications in English and PDF format will be assessed (the PhD diploma & ID card will be sent in the original language; the writing sample can be in English or other language of international circulation).
- CV (maximum 2 pages). Please state your email address, phone number
- List of most relevant publications (maximum 10 titles) & One writing sample (journal article or draft, PhD chapter, etc.)
- Cover letter detailing how the academic qualifications and experience of the applicant meet the requirements for the position and how the candidate’s profile will contribute to the development of the project (maximum 2 pages)
- Research plan detailing how you envisage to develop the research on one the abovementioned campaigns (advocacy at international / regional organizations; divestment campaigns; boycotts) and how you see your own contribution to the core research questions and goals of CORPACCOUNT (max. 2 pages)
- Names and contacts of 2 referees
- Copy of your PhD diploma / certificate
- Copy of your ID Card / Passport
- GDPR form (signed and dated) – according to Annex 1
Before applying you might want to consult with Dr. Raluca Grosescu ralucagrosescu@gmail.com
Selection Criteria:
- CV and Writing Sample (20 points)
- Cover letter (30 points)
- Research plan (50 points)
- Candidates who will obtain 80 points will be invited for an online interview.
Calendar: The deadline for submission is 15 March 2022, 5pm CET time. Shortlisted candidates will be noticed by 3 April 2022 and invited for interview to be held on 8 April 2022. The results will be announced by email on 12 April 2022. Contestations can be sent to corpaccount@politice.ro until 15 April 2022, 5pm CET time. The final results will be announced on 20 April 2022. The Contract will start 1 June 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Benefits: We offer minimum 35 days leave / year & options for flexible working. Bucharest is an emergent cultural city with a vibrant cosmopolitan life and a wide range of leisure opportunities. It is ranked 9 out of 10 for housing and living cost in the world, 9 out of 10 tolerance & 7 out of 10 culture and leisure, not no mention 9 out of 10 safety.