Postdoctoral Researcher in Geopolitics and Business at ESSEC Business School ESSEC Business School in France

ESSEC Business School is inviting applications for a 2-year postdoctoral researcher position in Geopolitics and Business at the Cergy campus (Paris, France), starting in September 2026.

The position is hosted by the Institute for Geopolitics & Business and is affiliated with the Law, Political Science & Society Department, with strong links to the Economics Department. The project is led by Prof. Aurélien Colson (Political Science) and Prof. Radu Vranceanu (Economics).

This is a transdisciplinary research role at the intersection of political science, international relations, economics, and business. The research agenda includes: analysis of the geopolitics/business cluster in management literature; survey-based and information-treatment analysis on geopolitical framings in French society; and an extension of work on the resilience of defense alliances, including alliance formation, credibility, burden-sharing, and defection.

Responsibilities include literature review and thematic coding, contribution to experiment design and analysis, theoretical and empirical development of research on defense alliances, data collection and documentation, drafting conference papers/policy briefs/articles, and participation in co-authored publications.

Applicants should hold a PhD/Doctorate in a relevant field, especially political science/IR or economics. A strong record in quantitative research is expected, with skills in econometrics, statistics, or game theory. Strong English writing skills are essential; French is an advantage.

The post offers a competitive financial package, a research-supportive environment, conference travel support, access to internal research funding calls, subsidized catering, partial public transport reimbursement, professional equipment, and standard social security benefits. Mobility support may be available for short stays, including at ESSEC Singapore.

Deadline: June 20, 2026. Applicants should email a cover letter and CV, including contacts for at least three academic referees, to [email protected]. Shortlisted candidates will be informed before June 30.