The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

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 Business of Bordering project, starting in September 2026, will focus on the wide range of companies, contracted directly or indirectly by governments, to contribute to border control. The research will focus on the UK and Denmark and how these states are experimenting with, propagating and normalising private border security businesses in their national contexts. The project entails: building a database of border security tenders and contracts; identifying the institutional mechanisms of democratic scrutiny and accountability of the business of bordering; undertaking critical discourse analysis of policy texts; mapping stakeholders in the border security economy; conducting qualitative field research entailing elite and civil society interviews and participatory observation during border security sector events; and dissemination work.

This post is for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (postdoc) to focus on the Danish part of the research. Suitable candidates will be fluent in Danish and have excellent English, and will ideally have knowledge and experience of working with financial datasets, analysis of public/private contracts, and company profiles. Training will be provided, but enthusiasm for in depth independent desk based compilation of data in spreadsheets is essential.

For more information about the project please contact Lucy Mayblin (l.mayblin@sheffield.ac.uk)

Main duties and responsibilities

• Building, under supervision, a dataset of border security contracts in the Danish context
• Desk based policy analysis and stakeholder mapping in Danish and English
• Undertaking qualitative field research including elite interviews and observations at border security sector events
• Attending and presenting at academic seminars, workshops and conferences
• Assisting in the writing of the project website/blog, newsletters, reports and scholarly publications.
• Contributing to conference presentations, practitioner workshops and research advisory group meetings, as well as assisting in the running of them.
• Carrying out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Further Information

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on 30th June 2026. This will consist of an interview and presentation. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 15th June. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact spr-hr-staffing@sheffield.ac.uk.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.