Postdoctoral researcher in Population Geography / Spatial Demography (M/F)

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 35 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Une institution de recherche renommée en France recrute un chercheur postdoctoral en géographie quantitative. Le poste implique l'analyse des dynamiques démographiques françaises à travers des méthodes quantitatives et un travail d'équipe avec de divers centres de recherche. Ce rôle permettra d'influer significativement sur la compréhension des tendances démographiques contemporaines, avec des publications dans des journaux scientifiques et des présentations lors de conférences.

Prestations

44 jours de congés annuels

Horaires de travail flexibles et possibilité de travail à distance

Formation et coaching internes gratuits

Bonnes connexions de transport public

Qualifications

• Un doctorat en géographie quantitative ou démographie est requis.
• Doit avoir une connaissance approfondie des sources de données pour analyser la dynamique démographique.
• Une maîtrise de l'anglais est obligatoire ; connaissance du français souhaitée (niveau B1).

Responsabilités

• Produire des analyses géographiques des dynamiques démographiques en France.
• Créer une base de données spatio-temporelle pour analyser les dynamiques démographiques.
• Présenter les résultats de recherche dans des revues scientifiques et des conférences.

Connaissances

Analyse spatiale

Méthodes quantitatives

Communication interpersonnelle

Compétences en Excel

Analyse de données

Formation

Doctorat en géographie quantitative ou démographie

Outils

R

STATA

SPSS

Description du poste

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Identité et Différenciation de l'Espace, de l'Environnement et des Sociétés Research Field Geography Architecture Sociology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country France Application Deadline 26 Aug 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Nov 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

For a long time, one of the classic approaches to studying populations has been to analyse through a geographical analysis. Beyond mere description, mapping populations in space can also help to reveal the factors that explain their spatial patterns and dynamics, as well as their behaviour. This approach allows different social theories to be linked to identify the most effective explanations for major contemporary demographic trends. It is particularly relevant when conducted as part of a spatio-temporal study, which combine spatial and temporal dimensions. Thus, the geographical approach provides a complementary perspective to that of other population sciences, contributing to a better overall understanding of population phenomena. However, while this approach is widely used for certain topics, such as migration, it is much less so for others. Traditional topics, such as demographic dynamics and its components, fertility, population structures, marriage patterns, and family, are surprisingly understudied using this approach. This is particularly noticeable in France at present, which is paradoxical given the availability of rich, high-quality data with which to study the geographies of French populations.
This position aims to address this gap. The person recruited will produce geographical analyses of population dynamics in France and promote them to the scientific community.
This mission aligns with the group of researchers involved in drafting the Atlas of the French Population (to be published by CNRS Éditions before the end of 2025). The project has opened avenues for further research on topics such as age structure, fertility, migration, family structures, and employment dynamics.
A strong background in quantitative and statistical methods, as well as a good level of English, are required. A basic knowledge of French (level B1) is required.

- Review the literature on the geography of French demographic dynamics, including: Settlement, Population growth/decline, The natural and migratory components of population change, Age and gender structures, Demographic ageing, Fertility and migration
- Conduct an international review of the spatial dimension of demographic dynamics to identify the specific nature of French trends.
- Create a spatio-temporal database to analyse French demographic dynamics at various geographical levels and over different time periods.
- Describe and explain France's demographic dynamics through quantitative spatial analysis.
- Publish the results of the analyses in French and international scientific journals.
- Present the results at national and international conferences.
- Co-lead a research group on the geography of demographic dynamics in France, collaborating with several research centers (Géographie-Cités, ESO, IDEES, LADYSS, PRODIG and SAGE).

Research center presentation
The UMR IDEES is a research center of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). It is based in 3 towns in Normandy : Rouen, Le Havre and Caen. It bring together more than 120 researchers and academics from different disciplines, particularly in the field of quantitative geography and socio-territorial changes. The post holder will be based at the UMR IDEES (Rouen site).
This postdoctoral position forms part of the research contracts funded by the CNRS Sciences Humaines et Sociales department, in line with its scientific policy and methodological priorities, particularly with regard to quantification and support for the field of population sciences.

Working environment
- Place of work: University of Rouen / campus of Mont-Saint-Aignan
- Entitlement to 44 days of annual leave
- Work-life balance : enjoy flexible working hours, possibility of remote working (to be defined at a later stage)
- Internal further training & Coaching : Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis (free of charge)
- Good public transport connections: Your workplace in the center is easily accessible by public transport
- Equal opportunities for everyone

Attainment
The candidate should have a PhD in quantitative geography, (spatial) demography or other relevant quantitative social science with a spatial analysis component.
The position is open to recent graduates.

Essential skills
- A high proficiency in English is mandatory.
- A basic knowledge of French (level B1) is required.
- Extensive knowledge of the data sources is required to analyse the geography of population dynamics
- Knowledge of the mechanisms of demographic dynamics
- Working knowledge of thematic mapping
- Working knowledge of Excel and statistical software (such as R, STATA, SPSS)
- Working knowledge of statistical data analysis methods such as regression, Hierarchical Clustering and Principal Component Analysis
- Ability to work individually and as part of a team
- Ability to clearly present research results to an academic audience
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills

Desirable skills
- Knowledge of demography and demographic analysis.
- Experience of spatial analysis methods and spatial modelling (spatial autocorrelations, spatial regression models, GWR…)