ABOUT THE ROLE
The Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S) is currently seeking a Research Coordinator – Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Justice to join the Research & Knowledge Team and contribute to the implementation of projects supporting TI 2030 strategic commitment to "hold power to account for the common good"
TI is part of the Horizon-funded RADAR consortium (Resisting Authoritarianism through Democratic Action and Resilience), a comparative and interdisciplinary project examining how autocratic practices emerge and how democratic actors can counter them. Within this consortium, Transparency International will deliver qualitative research focusing on anti-corruption enforcement, justice, and judicial integrity, including the misuse of corruption and anti-corruption measures to undermine the judiciary, as well as strategies that strengthen judicial resilience.
The Research Coordinator – Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Justice will conduct qualitative research, produce case studies, coordinate the day-to-day implementation of research activities, and support methodological coherence and research quality assurance across consortium partners. The role is accountable for project-level delivery, ensuring that research activities, outputs, timelines, and quality standards are met in line with agreed research designs, donor requirements, and TI-S processes.
The role operates within agreed research frameworks and organisational priorities and does not hold long-term strategic or thematic ownership.
OVERVIEW OF KEY DIMENSIONS
Role Purpose: The Research Coordinator – Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Justice will develop a theoretical framework on how corruption and anti-corruption are used to undermine the judiciary and, based on this framework, will conduct and draft comparative qualitative case studies across multiple countries, as well as a research monograph synthesising the findings. The role also coordinates project-level research activities and supports methodological coherence and research quality assurance across consortium partners, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery in line with agreed research designs, donor requirements, and TI-S processes.
Team: Research & Knowledge Team.
Reporting Line: Head of Research & Knowledge.
Starting Date: November 2026.
Contract Duration: From November 2026 to June 2028 [20 months].
Band: According to TI-S internal salary structure; this position is aligned with band PF2, with a salary range of EUR 42.000–59.000 gross per year. Final salary placement will be determined based on the number of years of relevant professional experience.
Working Hours: full time [100%; 40 hours per week].
Location: Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S), Berlin/Germany.
MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES OF THE ROLE
Research and Knowledge Production
- Develop and apply qualitative research frameworks to produce comparative case studies, ensuring methodological consistency across research outputs and consortium contributions.
- Conduct qualitative research on corruption, anti-corruption enforcement, and judicial manipulation, including desk research, comparative analysis, and process tracing.
- Develop case studies, analytical papers, monographs, and other research outputs through drafting, reviewing, and editing content.
- Compile, synthesise, and analyse findings from multiple sources into coherent, policy-relevant research products.
- Conduct research on judicial resilience and litigation strategies used by civil society and democratic actors to counter authoritarian or kleptocratic practices.
- Research Coordination and Implementation
- Implement assigned research activities related to anti-corruption enforcement, justice, and judicial integrity, including conducting primary qualitative research, while coordinating with consortium partners to ensure alignment with agreed research designs, workplans, and timelines.
- Coordinate and provide quality assurance for research conducted by an academic partner, including review of methodologies, interim outputs, and final deliverables.
- Monitor research progress across assigned work packages, identify risks or delays, and propose practical solutions to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.
Project and Process Management
- Support work planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting in line with TI-S procedures and donor requirements.
- Coordinate inputs to research-related and narrative reporting, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and quality.
- Collaborate with Finance and project colleagues to support budget monitoring and forecasting related to assigned research activities.
Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
- Liaise regularly with consortium partners, academic institutions, and internal stakeholders to ensure effective coordination and information flow.
- Prepare and organise research-related meetings, workshops, and events, including documentation before and after events.
- When required, represent Transparency International in project-related meetings, workshops, or fora within the scope of the role.
- Knowledge Sharing and Team Contribution
- Disseminate research outputs through blogs, briefings, presentations, workshops, and other knowledge-sharing formats.
- Stay abreast of developments related to AC enforcement, justice, judicial integrity, and authoritarian practices to inform ongoing work.
- Contribute proactively and flexibly to the overall functioning of the Research & Knowledge Team.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Experience and Qualifications
- University degree in political science, law, sociology, public administration, or a related social science discipline with a strong research component.
- Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in applied social science, legal, or policy research.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating research activities in multi-country, collaborative, or donor-funded projects.
- Experience conducting qualitative research, including methodologies such as process tracing, comparative case studies, and key informant interviews.
- Demonstrable familiarity with the topics of judicial integrity, anti-corruption and/or autocratisation is highly desirable.
- Experience working with or coordinating external research partners, including academic institutions, is a strong asset.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong research design, analytical, drafting, and editing skills, with a high level of attention to quality control.
- Proven organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, stakeholders, and deadlines.
- Ability to analyse information, identify issues, and propose practical, project-level solutions.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and institutions.
- Professional proficiency in written and spoken English; additional languages are an asset.
For complete job description and to apply, visit:
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates are invited to submit a CV and cover letter in English, merged into one PDF file, via our TI website clicking on the vacant position and the button 'Apply Online':
Closing date for applications is 24.06.2026 12:00 pm CEST.
Only applications duly completed and received through the online recruitment system will be considered.
Apply Online (https://jobdb.softgarden.de/jobdb/public/jobposting/applyonline/click?jp=65098038)