Early Stage Researcher in Law and Policy

Job Purpose

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project.

An Early Stage Researcher (ESR) position is available at the University of Birmingham, within the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Marie Sk³odowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (ITN) on transatlantic trade and investment. The ESR will work within Birmingham Law School on a PhD research project with the provisional title “Towards a Transatlantic Public Procurement Market”. The ESR will work under the supervision of Professor Martin Trybus on a thesis containing legal and interdisciplinary analysis of the EU and US obstacles to a transatlantic public procurement market and how a possible TTIP can contribute to addressing them, an evaluation of impact of such a regime on the EU and US economies, law making on both sides of the Atlantic, and law and policy recommendations for a transatlantic public procurement regime (details to be agreed between ESR and supervisor).

The ESR will benefit from a wide-ranging training programme featuring local, ITN-wide, and external activities with opportunities for travel to other ITN partners. Training will take place through Advanced Training Courses and topical conferences organised by ITN partners across Europe. The ESR will contribute to ambitious and carefully planned research, outreach, impact, and dissemination activities benefiting from the expertise of world-leading senior academics. Planned secondments, partly designed to expose the ESR to relevant working environments outside academia, include the University of Turin (work with co-supervisor Professor Roberto Caranta), George Washington University in Washington DC (study US regulation and obstacles), the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation in Turin, Baker McKenzie (law firm) in Berlin, and CEPS (think tank) in Brussels.

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with a strong academic record holding at least a Bachelor degree in a relevant subject, fluency in English and other linguistic skills and some subject knowledge of public procurement law and policy.
Person Specification

Essential
• First class or Upper Second degree (or equivalent) in relevant subject area (such as law, economics, public policy, political science, business studies)
• Basic understanding of public procurement law and policy
• Basic understanding of EU law and policy
• High level analytical ability
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use the resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Excellent IT skills across all core Microsoft Office products
• Ability to work as part of a team and work independently using own initiative
• Fluency in English & other linguistic skills

Desirable
• Thorough understanding and direct relevant experience of research methods
• Masters degree in relevant subject area
• Advanced understanding of public procurement law and policy
• Understanding of US law and policy
• Understanding of international trade law