Postdoctoral Researcher War, Peace and Justice research group; fte

Postdoctoral Researcher for the War, Peace and Justice research group (0.8 - 1.0fte)

Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading international research universities.

Applying is possible until: 15 februari 2026

The Research group War, Peace and Justice at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher (1.0 fte, 36-month position) with research and teaching expertise in contemporary war studies, preparedness, and strategy in the Europe.

The successful candidate will conduct independent and collaborative research with the research group War Peace and Justice, and assist with teaching across several programs within the institute, including the MSc in Crisis and Security Management, on one or several of the following aspects:

• The contemporary studies and issues of war and peace, in particular logistics and strategy.
• National and European governance challenges related to contemporary security and strategic debates.
• The interface between Europe and other global actors.
• Theories of readiness and logistics; theorizing logistics at the intersection of military readiness and corporate operations.
• Defence capability development in Europe and European defence industry.
• Conduct independent empirically driven and comparative case-study focused research.
• Collect and analyze data on one or several of the topics mentioned above.
• Produce high-quality co-authored outputs for both academic and non-academic audiences, with a focus on international, peer-reviewed journals.
• Work within a multidisciplinary team across the War, Peace and Justice research group and other research groups within the Institute, supporting the development and implementation of the Institute’s research strategy.
• Assist in teaching courses in minor, bachelor, and master programs within the institute, including the MSc in Crisis and Security Management.
• Supervise theses and capstone projects.

Our priority is to hire an excellent candidate who can contribute to the research of the research group War, Peace and Justice by enhancing and complementing the research agenda of the group, while also assisting in teaching in programs of the wider institute. This opportunity will help the candidate prepare for the next step in their academic career.

If you recognize yourself in this profile, or do not quite meet all the requirements but believe this is the right job for you, please do apply. We look forward to your application.

The mission of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA)? Contributing to society. The faculty does this through high-quality interdisciplinary education and (new) scientific knowledge. Whether it is terrorism, security, artificial intelligence or a governance solution to the housing crisis, contemporary issues are comprehensively addressed  the heart of The Hague, where important decisions are made, students and professionals come together to gain knowledge and skills.

There is much collaboration with academic and societal partners, which ensures that students leave university with a smile and one foot in the future, ready to make a substantial contribution to society.

FGGA is one of the seven faculties of Leiden University. This young, entrepreneurial, innovative organisation has three scientific institutes, two centres, over 3,700 students and 425 staff members. For more information about the faculty, .

In this team, we are looking for someone who can work independently. Every job is different, so in the beginning we will devote attention to your onboarding. If some of the work activities are new to you, we will look together at what you need, and draw up a development plan. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:

• A PhD degree in security, defence, strategic studies, and war studies or a related field relevant to researching and teaching on security, strategy and war. Our program leans heavily towards European affairs as they relate to changing global circumstances.
• Solid expertise in quantitative or qualitative research methods is considered an asset.
• Specific and up to date…