Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Research for Economic Security and Peace (RESP)

About the Blavatnik School of Government 

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners. 

What we offer 

The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers – all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have a regular events calendar that are designed to appeal to all, including our Christmas and summer parties. 

As an employer, we care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days’ annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for hybrid working (typically60% of working hours on-site and 40% remotely) 

More information about working at the School can be found on our jobs page 

About the role 

The postdoctoral research fellow will be a member of the Research for Economic Security and Peace (RESP) project, reporting to Professor Yeling Tan at Oxford University. RESP examines how the design of economic security policies and bureaucracies affects the prospects for international peace and stability. The research fellow will contribute to the empirical and analytical core of the project, with particular responsibility for supporting the construction and analysis of new cross-national datasets and the development of research outputs. The research fellow will also provide administrative support to the team, and guidance to junior members of the research group. 

About you 

The successful candidate will hold (or be close to completing) a PhD/DPhil in political science or a closely related field, with a specialism in international relations, international political economy, or international security. They will bring strong quantitative expertise, including experience constructing and analysing original datasets and applying advanced statistical methods. A solid understanding of economic security policy—such as trade policy, export controls, or related areas—is essential. The successful applicant will demonstrate a clear capacity for producing high-quality academic research, alongside excellent communication skills suited to both scholarly and policy audiences. They will be highly organised, collaborative, and capable of managing their own research agenda while contributing effectively to a multi-site team. A willingness to travel internationally for stakeholder engagement, as well as experience supporting or mentoring junior researchers, will further strengthen their application. 

Application process 

Please upload a supporting statement that outlines how you meet the selection criteria in your own words, along with your CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application. 

The closing date for applications is at 12 noon (UK time) on Tuesday 26 May 2026 

Interviews are expected to take place during week commencing 8 June 2026.

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