Deadline: June 26, 2026
The Center for the Sociology of Organizations and the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP) at Sciences Po invite applications for a one-year Research Assistant or Postdoctoral position within Professor Olivier Godechot’s research program on social group splits.
The position is based at AxPo (The Interdisciplinary Institute for Public Policy) and focuses on understanding how and why social groups divide, and the consequences of those divisions for organizations, institutions, and broader social structures.
Position Overview
Position: Research Assistant (Pre-Doctoral) or Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: AxPo, Sciences Po
Location: Paris, France
Contract Duration: 1 year
Contract Dates: 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2027
Salary
Research Assistant (Master’s level):
Approximately €28,800 gross annually
Postdoctoral Researcher (PhD):
Approximately €42,500 gross annually
Employment in France includes full healthcare coverage and social security benefits. Postdoctoral researchers may dedicate up to 20% of their time to their own research projects.
Research Project
The successful candidate will contribute to a research program examining social group splits, including separations, spin-outs, schisms, secessions, and other forms of group division.
While group fission has been extensively studied in animal societies, it remains underexplored in contemporary human organizations and institutions. The project investigates both the causes of social group splits and their consequences for the resulting groups and affected stakeholders.
Current research focuses on:
- Team moves within labor markets, particularly in finance and business law
- Party splits in France during the 2010s
- Mechanisms that encourage or prevent group divisions
- Organizational and social consequences of group fission
The selected candidate will assist with:
- Developing research proposals for funding agencies
- Analyzing existing quantitative and qualitative datasets
- Collecting and developing new sources of empirical data
Eligibility
Applications are welcome from candidates with a PhD or a research master’s degree in:
- Sociology
- Economics
- Political Science
- Network Science
- Anthropology
- Ethology
- History
- Related disciplines
Candidates should demonstrate strong quantitative or qualitative research skills and an ability to engage across disciplinary boundaries.
Application Materials
Applicants must submit a single PDF containing:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- One-page proposal suggesting an additional empirical case for studying social group fission and outlining an investigative approach
- Writing sample (approximately 30 pages)
- Names, affiliations, and contact details of two academic referees
Reference letters must be submitted separately by referees no later than 3 July 2026 (23:59 EST).
Recruitment Timeline
Application deadline: 26 June 2026
Shortlisted candidates will be notified at the end of June 2026. Interviews are expected to take place via Zoom in early July 2026.
Apply
Application form:
https://forms.gle/FPrnB8iD48LGrxpd9
Reference letter submission form:
https://forms.gle/M3kSVJ6g9CFb1ofMA
This position is made possible through the generous support of the AXA Research Fund.