Research Fellow

Job description

**Background**

1. The British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) is looking to appoint 2 positions of Research Fellow in Labour Exploitation and Human Rights. An appointment at Researcher (research assistant) level may be considered depending on qualifications and experience.

2. BIICL is a leading independent research organisation for international and comparative law. Our research, events, training and publications are grounded in deep scholarly knowledge and strong practical experience that can be applied to many situations. We seek to make a lasting impact on law and policy around the world.

3. The role(s) are intended to support the implementation of BIICL’s work in the areas of: Human Trafficking; Modern Slavery; Forced Labour and Labour Exploitation; and Labour Rights. In particular, the role(s) are intended to support the implementation of:
a. A project exploring, from a socio-legal perspective, the labour rights, forced labour and human trafficking dimensions of the Cuban Foreign Medical Missions (CFMM) programme.

b. A project promoting the labour rights of informal workers in various industries in South and South-East Asia

c. Projects that explore and propose legal solutions to structural factors that impact the prevalence of trafficking and modern slavery and/or negatively impact the likelihood of protection for trafficked persons.

4. You can find out more about our work on our website under 'Labour Rights'.

6. The successful applicant(s) will be expected to undertake a combination of the following:

- Desk research to articulate the underpinning factual basis for the legal analysis for the project (for example, on the medical mission programme and labour exploitation in other parts of the Cuban economy);
- Research and analysis of applicable legal standards and arrangements at the international, regional and domestic levels;
- Organize and undertake semi-structured interviews with stakeholders;
- Draft reports and other research outputs of relevance to the project;
- Further advance BIICL’s work in these areas including working with colleagues on the development of funding proposals, projects and initiatives.

7. This is a full-time role, initially for 9 months. Consideration will be given to secondments or a 0.8 FTE arrangement, if requested. A salary package of between £28,000 - £34,000 is expected, depending on qualifications and experience. An appointment at Researcher (research assistant) level may be considered depending on qualifications and experience. It is hoped that appointment will commence as soon as possible.

**Person Specification**

8.The successful applicant(s) will demonstrate the following mix of experience, skills and attributes:

- Expertise in international law (incl. human rights, labour law/labour rights, forced and exploitative labour, business and human rights) and recent research or other relevant experience in relation to the area;
- A good degree in a relevant field, with a PhD being a strong advantage;
- An ability to engage in inter-disciplinary work in the area;
- An ability to work (and undertake legal analysis) in English with a working knowledge of Spanish or Arabic being an advantage;
- A record of interacting appropriately with others, including scholars, practitioners, civil society, policy-makers and external organisations;
- An ability to convene, lead and manage seminars, conferences, training and other events to a high standard and to speak at, and chair, events as necessary;
- Evidence of effective communication skills in disseminating research findings and other activities to both a legal and non-legal community and to both academic and non-academic audiences;
- A track record in or willingness to seek, obtain and manage research funding;
- An ability to deal efficiently and effectively with administrative responsibilities; and
- An ability and willingness to work collaboratively and collegially with colleagues.