Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Business History
Lead archival and empirical research on BAE Systems' risk governance within the ERC-funded RISK-LABS project at the University of York.
Best for:Best for economic historians and business researchers with expertise in archival methods, corporate governance, and structured dataset management.
Overview
The School for Business and Society at the University of York invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the European Research Council Advanced Grant project 'RISK-LABS: Risk Societies: The Global Firm as a Laboratory of Risk Management, 1280–2030'. Led by Professor Teresa da Silva Lopes, the project reconceives firms as historical laboratories of risk governance. The successful candidate will lead Work Package 5 focusing on BAE Systems, examining how the company navigated strategic, political, and operational risks across the defense, aerospace, and security industries. Responsibilities include conducting primary archival research, building historical datasets, publishing in leading academic journals, and contributing to the broader project's comparative frameworks.
What you'll do
- Lead Work Package 5 focusing on BAE Systems and its predecessor firms within the broader RISK-LABS project.
- Conduct original archival and documentary research across corporate, governmental, and specialized repositories.
- Collect, process, and analyze primary corporate and policy sources related to risk governance in the defense and aerospace sectors.
- Build and manage structured historical datasets utilizing quantitative, network, or computational methodologies.
- Publish high-impact research findings in leading journals in business history, economic history, and international business.
- Present research outcomes at international conferences and help organize project meetings, workshops, and dissemination events.
- Contribute to comparative frameworks across the wider research team and assist with doctoral and master's student supervision where appropriate.
Requirements
Degree required: PhD in business history, economic history, modern or contemporary history, international business, management, political economy, or a cognate discipline (awarded or submitted)
Language: Excellent written and spoken English
Instruction: English
Publications: A publication record commensurate with career stage
- Advanced knowledge of modern or contemporary business history, defense, aerospace, security, or government-business relations
- Demonstrated familiarity with theoretical literatures on corporate, strategic, technological, and reputational risk and uncertainty
- Proven ability to identify, access, and critically interpret modern corporate and governmental policy records
- Track record of independent archival research in corporate or governmental repositories
- Competence in building and managing structured historical datasets, including familiarity with quantitative or computational methods
- Willingness to travel for extended periods of archival research
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an international, comparative team
- Applicants must hold or have submitted a PhD in a relevant discipline by the start date.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-02
Candidates must submit their application through the University of York online recruitment portal by the specified deadline. Ensure all required documentation including your CV and supporting statements are uploaded according to the instructions.
- CV
- Cover letter
Contact
Teresa da Silva Lopes· Principal Investigator
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