Research Assistant - Spanish speaker - ERC CRIMGOV

Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques; France; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Sciences Po, through the CRIMGOV project within the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, invites applications for a Research Assistant on a fixed-term 10-month contract starting January 2027. The post is for a highly motivated researcher with a master’s degree in sociology, criminology, anthropology, law or history, fluent in Spanish and proficient in English.

The role includes collecting and analyzing judicial evidence on the international drugs trade, supporting project

Qualifications

• Master degree or equivalent in sociology, criminology, anthropology, law or history.

Responsibilities

• Help collect judicial and other evidence on production and trade of illegal drugs from Latin America to Europe.

Skills

Data collection

Qualitative analysis

Quantitative analysis

Research coordination

Team collaboration

English proficiency

Spanish proficiency

Education

Master degree in Sociology

Master degree in Criminology

Master degree in Anthropology

Master degree in Juridical sciences

Master degree in History

Job description

Organisation/Company Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques Research Field Sociology » Other Criminology » Other Anthropology » Other Juridical sciences History Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 4 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number 101020598 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

CEE Sciences Po is seeking to appoint a Research Assistant for a fixed term appointment for 10 months, starting January 1, 2027, or soon thereafter (to be negotiated). The post holder will join a team of researchers funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant led by Professor Federico Varese (Principal Investigator). The project (CRIMGOV) aims to rethink the concept of organised crime (OC) and will develop a new framework that distinguishes key activities of OC groups. CRIMGOV will study a broad range of organised crime in depth: local cybercrime production hubs, the

international trade of drugs, and the emergence of criminal governance inside and outside prisons. The project will produce high-quality data sets that are hard to collect and time- consuming to code, a challenging and risky yet highly rewarding contribution to knowledge. Breaking traditional disciplinary boundaries between the social sciences and adopting a

global outlook, CRIMGOV will overturn long-held theoretical approaches, produce substantial new findings and data, and speak to scholars across different disciplines.

The post holder will be a member of the CRIMGOV research group with responsibility for carrying out research for a subproject which examines the international drugs trade from Latin America to Europe. A key element of the subproject is to collect and analyse judicial and other relevant evidence on the mechanics of the trade, including studying routes, brokers,

conditions of production in Colombia and distribution in Europe. The post holder will have familiarity with Latin America, especially the cocaine producing countries, and be fluent in Spanish. The post-holder will also offer some help to the administrative team at CEE tasked with managing the CRIMGOV project, participate in the activities of the entire team and will be asked to contribute to those activities as required by the Principal Investigator. The post holder is expected to have a certain level of experience in data collection and knowledge of Latin American history, near-native knowledge of Spanish language, and a good knowledge of English.

Responsibilities

• Help the team collect judicial and other evidence on production and trade of illegal drugs from Latin America to Europe.
• Conduct some interviews with experts.
• Manage research and administrative activities, including helping the CEE tasked with managing the CRIMGOV grant, within guidelines provided by the PI.
• Provide day-to-day administrative support and research assistance to the research project.
• Participate in and contribute to CRIMGOV team activities as required.
• Represent the research group at external meetings/seminars, either with other members of the group or alone as required.
• Contribute to discussions and share research findings with colleagues in partner institutions, and research groups.
• Willingness to work with sensitive data and handling confidential information.

The post holder is expected to have a certain level of experience in data collection and knowledge of Latin American history, near-native knowledge of Spanish language, and a good knowledge of English.

The postholder might be required to sign a confidentiality deed as a part of the appointment process.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Sociology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Criminology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Anthropology Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Juridical sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field History Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Hold a master degree in sociology, criminology, anthropology, law or history or a relevant field,
• Near-native knowledge of Spanish, together with limited research experience, and a willingness to engage in research activities.
• Ability to manage research and administrative activities.
• Some proven skills/experience related to qualitative and/or quantitative data collection, analysis and presentation.
• Good knowledge of English language.
• Experience of working in a research team and contributing ideas for new research.

Specific Requirements

Near-native knowledge of Spanish, together with limited research experience, and a willingness to engage in research activities.

Languages SPANISH Level Excellent

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field SociologyCriminologyAnthropologyJuridical sciencesHistory

Additional Information

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute CEE, Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics, Sciences Po Country France City Paris Postal Code 75007 Street 27 rue Saint Guillaume Geofield