Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Research for Economic Security and Peace (RESP)
Closing Date: 26 May 2026
Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Research for Economic Security and Peace (RESP)
Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Research on Economic Security and Peace (RESP) project, a collaboration between scholars at Oxford and Harvard.
RESP investigates how the design of economic security policies and bureaucracies (export controls, investment screening, tariffs, and the new institutions built around them) shapes the prospects for international peace and stability. The goal is to identify policy designs that reduce vulnerability without escalating strategic risk, and to translate the findings into actionable guidance for governments.
About the Blavatnik School of Government
The Blavatnik School of Government vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. Blavatnik School of Government is 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 is offered
The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. Blavatnik School of Government host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers – all of which are open to staff. On the social side, Blavatnik School of Government has a regular events calendar that are designed to appeal to all, including its Christmas and summer parties.
As an employer, Blavatnik School of Government cares about its employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits they 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 (typically 60% of working hours on-site and 40% remotely)
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 by the deadline.
Interviews are expected to take place during week commencing 8 June 2026
Click Here To Apply
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