Senior European Research Council (ERC) Fellow

Democracy Challenged is a 5 year project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) to investigate the role of legal-technical power in shaping corporate tax avoidance and the wealth inequalities that undermine democracy. The project has five research objectives. First, to develop a new theoretical framework, typology and causal mechanism for studying the relationship between corporate tax avoidance, wealth inequalities and democratic capitalism. Second, to empirically map, reconstruct and explain the global tax-avoiding wealth chains of big-tech and big-pharmaceutical multinationals. Third, to explain how legal-technical experts create and sustain these tax-avoiding strategies and structures. Fourth, to examine the role of the media in democratically contesting the technocratic politics of corporate taxation. Fifth, to develop new normative principles to guide democracy-enhancing reforms. 

A  post-PhD researcher is being recruited to work with the Principal Investigator to deliver the qualitative and socio-legal parts of the project, particularly those focused on corporate tax law, and understanding the role of legal-technical experts in creating the tax-avoiding wealth chains of multinational corporations in the big-tech and big-pharma sectors. This is a post-PhD academic research role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research to deliver specific work packages of the ERC grant, under the supervision and direction of the Principal Investigator. 

This is a 4 year (48 month) position. The employment benefits include:

•    Competitive salary;
•    Social insurance and pension contribution;
•    Generous funding for fieldwork abroad;
•    Generous funding for conference travel;
•    Laptop allowance;
•    Organisational/administrative support from project manager;
•    Dedicated office space.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

•    Develop a systematic review of the legal, normative and political economy literature on the rules and regulations governing corporate taxation, and how these relate to wealth inequality and democracy;
•    Contribute to the development, conceptualisation and empirical analysis of the global tax-avoiding wealth chains of big-tech and big-pharma multinationals, using firm-level data from the Orbis database;
•    Produce new qualitative data through extensive in-person fieldwork activities, including in-person interviews with legal-technical experts, and participation in professional networks/conferences and workshops;
•    Contribute to the analysis of this data using qualitative and/or quantitative methods and techniques;
•    Contribute to the development of an elite and list-survey experiment of legal-technical experts;
•    Carry out administrative work associated with your programme of research;
•    Engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which you are engaged as directed by and with the support of the Principal Investigator;
•    Mentor and assist, as appropriate and as directed, the research graduate students in your group;
•    Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of your research group.

Application materials:

•    Cover letter outlining your motivation for the position  (max 2 pages) + Curriculum Vitae (max 2 pages);
o    Submit as one PDF document;
•    Writing sample (publication or work-in-progress, max 12,000 words);
o    Submit as one PDF document.

Salary: €50,000 - €53,000 

Appointment on the above range will be dependent on qualifications and experience
Details on eligibility to compete and pension information is available at https://www.ucd.ie/hr/resourcing/eligibilitytocompete/

UCD welcomes applications from everyone. We are committed to creating an environment where diversity is celebrated and everyone is afforded equality of opportunity. Learn more about Diversity at 
https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/diversity/

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory: 
•    PhD submitted at time of appointment in relevant social science and/or law subject area;     
•    Mobility and commitment to travel and conduct fieldwork abroad;
•    Skills/experience in producing and collecting data using in-person elite interviews and/or other survey/ethnographic methods for accessing professional elites/experts;
•    Skills/experience in qualitative or quantitative data analysis. For example, Nvivo or related software, and/or discourse/content/computational text analyses methods;
•    Strong familiarity and understanding of the legal, accounting and technical workings of corporate tax;
•    Evidence of strong research activity and scholarly output;
•    Strong commitment to publishing high-level academic/scientific research;
•    Excellent oral and written communication skills;
•    Excellent interpersonal and organisational/administrative skills, including an ability to work to deadlines;
•    Strong commitment and willingness to work within an interdisciplinary research team;
•    Awareness of UCD’s equality, diversity and inclusion agenda.

Desirable: 
•    Experience of working in a law/accountancy/tax advising firm;
•    Experience of working and co-authoring in an inter/transdisciplinary research team;
•    Some background in corporate tax law;
•    Experience of traveling abroad to complete research interviews;
•    Experience of working within a team funded by a large EU funded research grant.

Supplementary information:

The University: https://www.ucd.ie/
UCD Strategy 2020-2024: Rising to the Future: https://strategy.ucd.ie/
The School/Programme Office/Unit: https://www.ucd.ie/spire
Equality Diversity and Inclusion at UCD: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/diversity/

Informal Enquiries ONLY to:

Aidan Regan, Associate Professor
aidan.regan@ucd.ie