Research Associate - Business of Bordering

Research Associate – The Business of Bordering

Job Title:

Research Associate – The Business of Bordering
Posting

Start Date:

15/05/2026
Closing Date: 14/06/2026
School/Department:
Socio Studies, Politics & International Relations
Work Arrangement:
Full Time (Hybrid)
Contract Type:
Fixed‑term
Duration:
From 1st September 2026 for 30 months
Salary: £38,784 – £41,064 per annum
Line Manager:
Project PI

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate (postdoc) to work on the ESRC funded ‘The Business of Bordering’ research project. The postholder will work under the supervision of Dr. Lucy Mayblin (University of Sheffield), in collaboration with Dr. Joe Turner (University of York) and Dr. Martin Lemberg‑Pedersen (University of Southern Denmark). The project focuses on the UK and Denmark, exploring how states experiment with, propagate, and normalise private border security businesses.

• Read and review relevant literature.
• Build and maintain a dataset of border security contracts in the Danish context.
• Conduct desk‑based policy analysis and stakeholder mapping in Danish and English.
• Undertake qualitative field research, including elite interviews and observations at border security sector events.
• Attend and present at academic seminars, workshops, and conferences.
• Assist in writing the project website/blog, newsletters, reports, and scholarly publications.
• Contribute to conference presentations, practitioner workshops, and research advisory group meetings, and assist in running them.
• Perform other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

• PhD (or close to completion) in a relevant social science or humanities discipline or equivalent experience.
• Fluency in Danish language.
• Familiarity with Danish borders and immigration systems and other relevant policy areas.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in both Danish and English.
• Excellent time‑management skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Familiarity with relevant research areas (critical border and migration studies, political economy, outsourcing, the arms trade, security technologies).
• Experience with financial data, e.g., using financial investigative journalism techniques or other relevant approaches.

• Experience with stakeholder mapping.
• Experience with policy discourse analysis.

For informal enquiries, please contact Lucy Mayblin, Senior Lecturer, Sociology at  The selection process will take place on 30th June 2026 and may include an interview and presentation. Candidates will be informed of progression to the selection stage during the week commencing 15th June. For any required support, adjustments, or equipment to participate in the recruitment process, please contact spr

We are a Disability Confident Leader. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job, you will be invited to participate in the next stage of the selection process.