The Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science in Göttingen conducts interdisciplinary research into pressing issues of social and political change, with a particular focus on conflict, inequality, the erosion of democracy and processes of social transformation. At the Institute, the Department of Political Institutions and Conflict is inviting applications for the position of

Postdoctoral Fellow (m/f/d) in Political Violence

(full-time for three years, start day September 1, 2026 or earlier )

The newly established department “Political Institutions and Conflict” (led by Ursula Daxecker) studies the relationship between political institutions and conflict, broadly construed. Conflict is inherent in politics but can be managed peacefully or break out in the open and turn violent. Research in the department explores whether and how political, economic, and social institutions create or reduce the potential for conflict, how structural changes have changed institutions’ ability to manage conflict, and how these shifts affect political outcomes downstream. Through this research, the department aims to produce novel insights for important challenges in contemporary society, including the rise of extreme strategies and violence, threats to electoral integrity, and democratic erosion.

Your tasks

A postdoctoral research fellow with relevant skills and interests is sought for a project aiming to understand when, why, and how violent orders co-exist with democracy. It is widely believed that democratic institutions and open economic structures reduce incentives for violent conflict. Yet many forms of political violence have remained surprisingly persistent in democracies, whether it is violent rent-seeking by criminal actors, violence against ethnic minorities, or violent party competition. Research encourages explorations of the relationship between political and economic institutions and political violence, the nature of this violence, and its consequences for political outcomes at various levels. The project relies on a multi-method approach, including quantitative analysis of news reporting on political violence, electoral and other administrative data, survey data, and qualitative data gathered from fieldwork and interviews.

• Conduct high-quality research within the framework of the project, including the design, collection and analysis of quantitative data;
• Write academic articles with other project members (including the director and associated researchers at the MPI and other institutions);
• Carry out fieldwork and interviews in research locations;
• Contribute to the recruitment of PhD students and junior researchers;
• Co-supervise, support, and mentor PhD students and junior researchers working on the project;
• Assist with administrative responsibilities related to the project, including organization of workshops, writing deliverables, data management, and dissemination of project findings in general audience venues;
• Be affiliated with and take active part in the research environment at the Department. Regular presence at the Institute is therefore required and researchers need to reside within commuting distance of Göttingen.

Your profile

The following qualifications are essential:

• a PhD degree or equivalent in Political Science. The degree (or all qualifications necessary for it) must have been obtained before the employment start date;
• excellent publication record (i.e., publications in highly-ranked international journals) or demonstrated potential thereof;
• demonstrated interest in political violence and the department’s research themes, and willingness to develop additional subject-matter and regional expertise;
• excellent command of quantitative research methods, including panel regression, analysis of large administrative data, survey data, and statistical programming in Stata/R/etc.;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• a commitment to academic integrity and transparency;
• independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaborate in an interdisciplinary team.

The following qualifications are desirable:

• familiarity with causal inference methods, or willingness to acquire it;
• expertise on Indian or German politics;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in Hindi, Bengali, or German;
• experience collecting, coding, and analyzing event data;
• experience conducting fieldwork and qualitative interviews.

Our offer

• A full-time position for a period of three years in a stimulating and internationally renowned research environment.
• Employment according to the collective wage agreement for the German public service (TVöD Bund, EG 13 ), depending on qualifications and experience.
• Excellent opportunities for academic development, international networking, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Max Planck Society is mainly funded by German Federal and State Governments (see

www.mpg.de

). Max Planck Institutes provide outstanding facilities, academic resources and intellectual environments for the support of independent research. Max Planck Institutes are not tied to universities. There are no teaching obligations for staff, but teaching and other forms of co-operation with universities is possible. The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the participation of women across the sciences. Applications from women are therefore particularly welcome. Following its commitment to equal opportunities employment policies, the Max Planck Society especially encourages applications from persons with a disability. Persons of any nationality can apply.

Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday May 3, 2026. Applications must be submitted as a single pdf file and consist of:

• a CV including a list of publications;
• a two-page cover letter describing your interest and alignment to the department’s research themes;
• a two-page proposal outlining a research agenda related to the project;
• the names and contact details of three referees who we may contact;
• one published article or one other writing sample. If it is a co-authored paper/publication, please add a note clarifying your contribution.

Please do NOT send additional materials with the initial application. IInterviews will be conducted remotely on June 11 and 12. We ask you to ensure availability on those dates.

The application deadline is 2026-05-03

Contact

Queries should be directed to Jie Zhang (

jie.zhang@ips.mpg.de

). Please do NOT send application materials or additional materials to this E-Mail address. Only applications submitted through the recruitment portal will be considered.

Max-Planck-Institute for Political and Social Science

Hermann-Föge-Weg 11, 37073 Göttingen, Germany

For information on the institute, please consult: https://www.ips.mpg.de