Postdoctoral Research Associate

About Us

The King's India Institute is part of the Global Institutes housed at the School of Global Affairs under the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy. The Faculty is one of the largest, most international and highly regarded faculties in the United Kingdom. The SGA is a vibrant hub of multi‑disciplinary scholarship that seeks to address and resolve the most pressing issues facing our world today.

Our School covers expertise in global environmental governance, climate change, global health, cross‑border migration, emerging economies and politics, and includes the Departments of Geography, International Development and Global Health & Social Medicine, the African Leadership Centre and the Global Institutes (Lau China, India, Brazil and Australia).

The Post‑Doctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) will be employed in the European Research Council funded project Critical Caste Geographies (CRITCASTE). The project seeks to map the labour geography, legal geography and social mobility aspects of caste relations between South Asia, the UK and the USA. The PDRA will focus on the legal geography approach, undertaking systematic mapping of knowledge claims and categories emerging from legislation across contexts with varying histories of race relations, tracing the evolving ontological status of caste and its role in anti‑discrimination jurisprudence.

The work will be conducted under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and in collaboration with the project team, while also developing independent research objectives and deliverables.

• Conduct literature reviews and archival searches relevant to labour and anti‑discrimination law.
• Identify key litigations, legislations and archival sources for in‑depth analysis.
• Analyse and write up findings, producing research outputs both independently and collaboratively.
• Build and maintain professional relationships with actors, organisations and networks within the field.
• Support the organisation of project‑related research tasks and deliverables.

• PhD qualified in a relevant subject area such as legal studies, legal geography or sociology of law.
• Demonstrable expertise in one or more of the following subject areas: anti‑discrimination law, labour rights, anti‑caste legislations, comparative law.
• Training and experience in applying relevant research methodologies and understanding of research ethics.
• Collegiality and willingness to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrable ability to take leadership in organisational tasks related to research.
• Demonstrable commitment to the principles of equity, inclusivity and justice in carrying out research projects.

• Developing record of high‑quality scholarly publications appropriate to career stage.
• Professional experience in litigation, legislative research or other paralegal fields.
• Knowledge of legal regimes and archives in the UK and USA.

The appointment is full‑time (35 hours per week) on a fixed‑term contract for 12 months, with the possibility of extension. Candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered; such candidates will initially be appointed at Grade 5 (Research Assistant) and promoted to Grade 6 (Research Associate) upon confirmation of the PhD. Interviews are expected to be held in the first half of March.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming, and we are committed to cultivating a diverse & inclusive culture at King’s. Please submit a CV and a supporting statement detailing how you meet the essential criteria.