Position description
Position identification
Title of post : Post-doctorate on the ‘revolving doors’ of European and national political elites
Type of contract : postdoctorate
Category (A,B or C) : A
Contract/project period : 24 months — Expected date of employment : 1 December 2026
Proportion of work : 100%
Workplace : SAGE center (CNRS, University of Strasbourg)
Desired level of education : PhD in sociology or political science
Experience required : PhD (obtained less than 3 years ago)
Contact(s) for information on the position (identity, position, e-mail address, telephone) : Sébastien Michon, CNRS Research Professor, Project Leader smichon@unistra.fr
Date of publication : 11 September 2026
Closing date for the receipt of applications : 9 october 2026
Research project or operation
The contract forms part of the ‘Infiltrates’ project (Influence of Financial Elites: Trajectories, Socialisation, Values and Repercussions of Wealth in Germany, France and the UK), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Infiltrates brings together researchers from five partner teams: the Centre Marc Bloch, IRISSO at Paris Dauphine University, the SAGE laboratory at the University of Strasbourg, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the Business School at Queen Mary University of London. The project aims to study recruitment practices in the finance and strategic consultancy sectors, the values of these elites, and the influence they exert in maintaining a status quo characterised by growing wealth inequality. The project employs both qualitative and quantitative methods from a comparative perspective.
The research to be carried out by the successful candidate will form part of Work Package 5: ‘Revolving doors between finance, consulting and government’, which aims to examine the patterns of movement between different spheres of government on the one hand, and finance and consulting on the other.
Activities
- Description of the research activities : The post is intended for the independent and collaborative conduct of research into the career paths of European and national political elites. The research will involve studying and analysing the subsequent careers of a group of individuals who have held high-profile positions at European Union level (European Commissioner) or at national level (member of a national government).
- Related activities : Methodological considerations on the development of indicators designed to capture the flow of people between prominent political positions and the finance and consultancy sectors; Data collection on professional and political career paths, and the creation of databases; Data processing and analysis; Drafting of summary notes and activity reports; Writing of academic articles.
Skills
- Qualifications/knowledge : PhD in sociology or political science; Expertise in the subject areas, issues and methods relevant to the project; Good knowledge of French and European politics
- Operational skills/expertise : Proficiency in the use of quantitative methods (data collection, processing and analysis); Very good command of French and English; Experience in compiling and analysing prosopographic databases would be an advantage
- Personal qualities : Ability to work independently; Good organisational, communication and teamwork skills
Environment and context of work
- Presentation of the laboratory/unity : The successful candidate will be based at the SAGE Joint Research Unit (UMR) at the Inter-University Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences of Alsace in Strasbourg. SAGE is a joint research unit comprising researchers from the University of Strasbourg, the CNRS, the University of Haute-Alsace, Engees and INRAE. The research carried out at SAGE focuses on the construction of European society, forms of public action, the production and social uses of knowledge, relationships with the local area, power relations, and issues relating to the environment and sustainable development. This research is based on empirical, qualitative and quantitative studies and on dialogue between the social sciences.
- Hierarchical relationship : The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Sébastien Michon, a researcher at UMR SAGE and co-leader of WP5 of the Infiltrates project. They will liaise regularly with the Infiltrates project’s international research team, which comprises around ten experienced researchers, six PhD students and two other postdoctoral researchers.
To apply, please send your CV, cover letter and diploma to : smichon@unistra.fr
Candidates shortlisted following the review of applications will be contacted for an interview in November (via videoconference). For data protection reasons, application files will be destroyed once the process has been completed.
Where to apply
E-mail : smichon@unistra.fr
Requirements
Research Field : Sociology
Education Level : PhD or equivalent
Internal Application form(s) needed
Fiche_Poste_Anglais_postdoc_ProjetInfiltrates.pdf English (132.87 KB - PDF)
Fiche de poste POST DOC_ProjetInfiltrates.pdf English (121.26 KB - PDF)
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available : 1
Company/Institute : SAGE center (CNRS, University of Strasbourg)
Country : France
Contact
City : Strasbourg
Website : https://www.unistra.fr/
Street : 4 rue Blaise Pascal
Postal Code : 67000
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