[Air-L] Three full-time positions available at the Berlin Social Science Centre: A Project Manager, a Communication Manager and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow focusing on action research in the gig economy

[Mark Graham]

Dear colleagues,


We're hiring three new full-time positions based at the Berlin Social
Science Centre (WZB). Full details below.


Mark

**********

The WZB Berlin Social Science Centre <https://www.wzb.eu/> and the Fairwork
Foundation <https://fair.work/> are hiring a *Project Manager*, a
*Communication
Manager *and a *Postdoctoral Research Fellow* for the new Fairwork
Secretariat in Berlin
<https://fair.work/partnership-with-wbz-to-develop-a-faiwork-secretariat-in-berlin/>
.


*About Fairwork *


Fairwork is an action-research project based between the Oxford Internet
Institute, University of Oxford and the Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB).
We research working conditions in the gig economy, in order to develop
‘fairness ratings’ for digital labour platforms like Uber, Helpling and
Deliveroo. We use these ratings as a lever to improve pay and conditions
for platform workers, through media and consumer pressure.

Fairwork’s programme of action research intends not just to understand the
world, but to change it. By bringing workers, platforms, scholars, labour
researchers and policymakers to the table, we work to collaboratively
develop and embed principles of fair work into the script of the gig
economy. Fundamental to the project is a commitment to being participatory
and non-hierarchical within our communities. Our ultimate aim is to
understand, and counter, some of the forces that disempower gig workers
across the world.

Over the past three years, we have mobilized a unique and growing
transnational network of social justice minded scholars from over ten
countries in pursuit of this planetary goal. In order to effectively
advocate for gig workers everywhere, we believe it necessary for our team
too to reflect a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and more.
In growing our team, we value and welcome the unique contributions that
applicants can bring in terms of their education, opinions, cultural and
linguistic backgrounds, ethnicity, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, national origin, age, religion, disability, and
beliefs. We actively strive to build and nurture a culture of empathy,
inclusiveness, and respect.


The Fairwork Secretariat sits at the nexus of three research clusters in
Oxford and Berlin that focus on the future of work. The Oxford Internet
Institute is home to over a dozen researchers studying digital
transformations and what they mean for work and workers. The WZB GAP group
comprises a number of researchers focusing on the digitalization of work,
including research on platforms, automation, and artificial intelligence.
The work at the Fairwork Secretariat will also involve cooperation with the
Berlin-based Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society. The tasks
required in this role will involve close cooperation between the Berlin-
and Oxford-based teams, including joint research activities, workshops and
conferences, as well as publications. There will be regular travel
opportunities to facilitate collaboration between the Oxford- and
Berlin-based teams, and the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in partner
countries.


*Project Manager*

   - Duration: Starting immediately until July 2022 (extension possible)
   - Remuneration: EG 14 TVöD Bund (yearly gross income between 55,000 and
   64,000 Euros)
   - Deadline: 1 December 2020

The primary aim of this position will be to coordinate the international
network of Fairwork research and researchers in collaboration with the
project leaders. The tasks required in this role will involve close
cooperation between the Berlin- and Oxford-based teams, including joint
research activities, workshops and conferences, as well as publications.

The ideal candidate would have:

   - A relevant graduate degree in sociology, geography, anthropology,
   economics, development studies, or related fields.
   - A high level of project management experience, from early stage all
   the way through to realisation, preferably in international research
   projects and activities.
   - A high level of project administration experience, including
   experience in writing research funding bids, raising sponsorship, budget
   tracking, and reporting of complex projects.
   - Professional experience in managing a diverse team; strong
   interpersonal skills.
   - Excellent English and preferably good German skills (written and oral).
   - Preferably language competencies in languages spoken in any of the
   Fairwork partner countries (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic,
   Mandarin).

The primary responsibilities of this position will be:

   - Co-designing an annual research strategy and project plans.
   - Coordinating and monitoring the project activities, timelines and
   budgets.
   - Collaborating in the preparation of research publications, chapters,
   summaries, and reports; managing the workflow of collaborative publications.
   - Managing data repositories across the project and ensure ethical and
   legal compliance.
   - Collaborating in the preparation and management of grant applications.
   - Coordinating the Fairwork project expansion to further countries;
   coaching and monitoring the Fairwork research activities abroad; assisting
   with the supervision of project researchers external to the WZB.
   - Outreach and liaising with external partners and stakeholders;
   cooperating with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient
   implementation of the project.

For a complete description of the role and information on how to apply,
read the full job description
<https://www.wzb.eu/en/jobs/research-coordinator-project-manager-fmx>.



*Communication Manager*

   - Duration: Starting immediately until July 2022 (extension possible)
   - Remuneration: EG 13 TVöD Bund (yearly gross income between 51,000 and
   60,000 Euros)
   - Deadline: 1 December 2020

Because external-facing communication is such an integral part of the
project’s impact strategy, the Communication Manager will play an essential
role in driving the project’s success. The tasks required in this role will
involve close cooperation between the Berlin- and Oxford-based teams,
including joint research activities, workshops and conferences, as well as
publications.

The ideal candidate(s) will have:

   - A relevant graduate degree in sociology, geography, anthropology,
   economics, development studies, or related fields.
   - Professional experience in communications, journalism, public
   relations, preferably in academia / research.
   - Excellent communication skills, including the ability to confidently
   represent the project externally, and present concepts verbally in precise
   and concise language.
   - Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, layout and design,
   professional printing/publishing skills.
   - Experience in developing and maintaining website content and social
   media channels.
   - Experience in using the Adobe Creative Suite or similar software.
   - Experience with managing publication processes.
   - Strong organizational and planning skills.
   - Preferably language competencies in languages spoken in Fairwork
   partner countries (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Mandarin).

The primary responsibilities of this position will be:

   - Developing a cohesive communications strategy for Fairwork.
   - Working closely with the central team and the wider Fairwork network
   to ensure delivery of regular communications, including eg. maintaining
   social media channels; maintaining the website, including blog posting and
   editing, content editing, keeping track of translations; drafting regular
   newsletters.
   - Overseeing the development of multimedia outputs (podcasts, videos,
   infographics, interactive games, applications, etc.) and compelling social
   media campaigns to share findings and communicate key messages.
   - Developing and executing strategy to disseminate findings and
   communicate key messages to platform workers.
   - Writing and disseminating press releases targeting media in our 12+
   countries of operation.
   - Designing (including page-setting) regular high-quality reports and
   other outputs published by teams in 12+ countries.
   - Coordinating events such as meetings, retreats, short courses/summer
   school, conferences, workshops and seminars in close liaison with project
   members as required.

For a complete description of the role and information on how to apply,
read the full job description
<https://www.wzb.eu/en/jobs/communication-manager-fmx>.


*Postdoctoral Research Fellow*

   - Duration: Starting immediately until July 2022 (extension possible)
   - Remuneration: EG 14 TVöD Bund (yearly gross income between 55,000 and
   64,000 Euros)
   - Deadline: 1 December 2020

The primary aims of this position will be to (1) conduct research with
platform workers and platform managers about job quality on digital labour
platforms; (2) use that research as part of action research strategies to
leverage change in the gig economy; (3) play a coordination role with some
of the project’s international partners; (4) collaborate on publications
and research outputs to disseminate the evaluations of platforms against
principles of fair work. The tasks required in this role will involve close
cooperation between the Berlin- and Oxford-based teams, including joint
research activities, workshops and conferences, as well as publications.

The ideal candidate(s) will have:

   - A relevant postgraduate degree in sociology, geography, anthropology,
   economics, development studies, or related fields.
   - Strong publication record and familiarity with the existing literature
   and research related to the gig economy, platform work, the digital
   economy, decent work, or precarious/temporary work.
   - Academic or professional experience, experience in the development of
   research projects and methodologies.
   - Experience conducting, analysing, and interpreting interview data.
   - Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write for
   publications, present research proposals and results, and represent the
   research group at meetings.
   - Experience coordinating a diverse set of stakeholders.
   - Knowledge of issues impacting on precarious and insecure workers, and
   a demonstrable commitment to working towards the empowerment of workers,
   and to equality and inclusion.

The primary responsibilities of this position will be:

   - Conducting primary research and secondary comprehensive and
   comparative analysis of data collected in the Fairwork project.
   - Preparation of research publications, chapters, summaries, and reports.
   - Collaborating in the preparation and management of grant applications.
   - Coaching and monitoring the Fairwork research activities abroad,
   assisting with the supervision of project researchers external to the WZB.
   - Developing strategies to turn the Fairwork scores into an ethical
   consumption strategy.
   - Assisting the Fairwork team in the expansion of the project to further
   countries.
   - Outreach and liaising with external partners and stakeholders, in
   particular also the German development policymakers.
   - Managing and coordinating the new Fairwork Observatory.

For a complete description of the role and information on how to apply,
read the full job description
<https://www.wzb.eu/en/jobs/postdoctoral-research-fellow-fmx-6>.



------------------------------------------
Mark Graham

Director, Fairwork
www.fair.work

Professor, University of Oxford
www.markgraham.space


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