The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence (https://www.africamultiple.
Under the current call, we seek to recruit a Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow to be affiliated with the Research Section Accumulation and Inequality within the Africa Multiple Cluster. The successful candidate will pursue an independent research project aligned with the thematic focus of Accumulation and Inequality while also serving as Research Section Coordinator, supporting the intellectual, organisational, and administrative functioning of the Research Section.
The Research Section explores how accumulation processes and inequalities interlink in different social domains and trace their consequent implications for livelihoods and larger social and socioenvironmental systems. It also explores the diversity of mechanisms and power-saturated social relations through which accumulation processes take place in African societies, and how these are struggled over. It does so within the Cluster’s conceptual framework of multiplicity, relationality, and reflexivity. For more information, please visit https://www.africamultiple.
The Research Section Coordinator will report to the Research Section Representative and work closely with the Steering Committee of the Research Section as well as the Cluster administration.
Key Responsibilities
1. Research
- Develop and conduct a research project within the field of accumulation and inequality studies (with a privileged prime focus on accumulation as concept and empirical phenomenon).
- Contribute to collaborative research activities within the Research Section.
- Publish in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to joint publications.
- Participate in conferences, workshops, and Africa Multiple events.
- Engage in science communication and the dissemination of results to wider publics.
2. Research Coordination
- Work with the Research Section representative and the Steering Committee to implement the research programme of the Research Section.
- Convene and coordinate regular Research Section meetings in collaboration with the Research Section Representative.
- Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative research activities at the level of the Research Section.
3. Administration
- Circulate meeting agendas, document discussions, and monitor follow-up actions.
- Assist the Steering Committee in the distribution of funds allocated to the Research Section (e.g. events, conference travel, publication support), including administrative processes connected to the accounting for funds.
Qualifications
- PhD in African Studies, Political Economy, Economics, Political Sciences, Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Geography, Urban Planning, History, Cultural Studies, or a related field.
- Demonstrated expertise in areas related to accumulation and inequality research as well as political economy thinking; a focus on the gendered nature of accumulation dynamics is desirable.
- Strong research and publication record appropriate to career stage.
- Experience in interdisciplinary and collaborative research environments.
- Excellent organisational and coordination skills.
- Experience with science communication and/or policy transfer questions will be an asset.
- Fluency in English (additional languages used within the Cluster would be an asset).
Profile
The successful candidate will demonstrate intellectual independence, collaborative capacity, administrative competence, and a commitment to ethical and reflexive research practices. The position requires both scholarly excellence and the ability to support the collective functioning of a transcontinental research environment.
Employment
The Researcher/Senior Researcher – Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow will be employed at one of the Africa Multiple Research Centres on the African continent. For Accumulation, the choice will be between Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa) and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). The precise job designation and remuneration will be based on the respective institutional practice.At Rhodes University, annual payment is in the range of 668.000 ZAR (researcher) or 826.000 ZAR (senior researcher); at the University of Lagos, in the range of 23,000,000 NGN.
The contract duration will be 24 months, with a probationary term of six months and the possibility of extension until the end of the Cluster’s funding period on December 31, 2032. As the Africa Multiple Cluster encourages exchange and mobility between its locations, it is intended to enable the Research Section Coordinator to spend up to three months at another Africa Multiple Research Centre.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:
- Cover letter (including indication of the preferred location among the Africa Multiple Research Centres listed)
- Full CV
- Short description (max. 3 pages) of a potential research project to be pursued within the Accumulation and Inequality Research Section
- Names and contact information of two references
The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The intended start date is September 1, 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter. Please indicate whether your desired place of employment is Rhodes University (Makhanda) or University of Lagos (Lagos). Please submit your dossier by email to the representative of the Research Section Accumulation, Prof. Dr. Stefan Ouma, stefan.ouma@uni-bayreuth.de.
In case of questions, please contact stefan.ouma@uni-bayreuth.de.
For the full call for applications as PDF, please see https://www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de/en/1_1-About-Us/Opportunities/Job-Advertisement_Coordinator_RS-Accumulation.pdf