Centre for Democratic Resilience, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
About the Organisation
The Centre for Democratic Resilience is a new research centre dedicated to understanding and promoting the resilience of liberal democracy in Europe, the United States, and beyond. Based in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, the Centre builds on Oxford’s extensive cross-disciplinary research strengths, its long-standing leadership in education, and its strong relationships with business and government.
Democracies are under unprecedented stress, with significant implications for businesses. The weakening of democratic institutions and norms creates risks such as increased polarization, reduced social cohesion, regulatory unpredictability, corruption, and threats to corporate values and workforce stability. Businesses must develop strategies to navigate these challenges while maintaining ethical leadership and operational resilience.
The Centre for Democratic Resilience (CeDR) is establishing a research stream within a globally recognized research group on democratic resilience. This initiative will generate actionable insights for business leaders to understand, and respond to democratic backsliding. The Research Assistant will play a crucial role in supporting this work, contributing to empirical research, and industry engagement. The position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of democratic governance and business strategy, helping organisations navigate the complexities of democratic resilience with evidence-based solutions.
The project
This project sits at the intersection of political science, political economy, policy research and business practice. Its core aim is to map key research gaps and emerging insights on business and democratic resilience, to inform policymakers working at the interface of democratic governance and economic regulation, and to translate that knowledge into background analysis and materials to support policy options and the development of a business network focused on democracy. Key thematic areas include:
- Mapping cutting-edge political science research and research gaps (e.g., What does the leading comparative and political-economy literature reveal about the relationship between business actors and democratic backsliding? Where are the main theoretical, empirical, and methodological gaps—such as firm-level behaviour, cross-national comparison, or causal mechanisms linking democratic erosion to business strategy—that limit our understanding of how businesses anticipate, respond to, or shape democratic outcomes?)
- Historical and comparative analysis of how businesses have responded collectively and individually in periods of democratic stress in Europe and beyond, alongside scholarship on corporate political activity, leadership, and organisational strategy. The focus is on identifying patterns, tensions, and gaps in how firms navigate stakeholder conflicts, decide when to remain silent or speak publicly, and adapt internal governance, communication, and risk-management practices under conditions of democratic fragility.
- Supporting collective action, engagement, and impact on democratic resilience. This includes reviewing political science research on multi-stakeholder engagement, business coalitions, and firm–state–civil society relations in contexts of democratic erosion. The project will map what is known about the effectiveness and risks of collective business action, organizational choices for business networks, governance of risks, and how democratic impact is conceptualised and measured in the literature—highlighting gaps in metrics and evidence relevant to both business-led and policy-oriented efforts to support democratic resilience.
What you will do
Working closely with academics and strategic business communication consultants, the Research Assistant will:
- conduct a structured literature review of cutting-edge research in political science, political economy, and related fields on business and democratic resilience, with particular attention to causally identified quantitative, experimental, and quasi-experimental studies. Your objective will be to identify theoretical, empirical, and methodological gaps in how the causal links between democratic backsliding and business behaviour are understood
- compile and analyse case studies of how businesses have responded collectively to democratic stress in Europe and beyond
- support the development of analytical frameworks and discussion tools that help business leaders and business networks think through stakeholder tensions, organisational challenges, and communication choices under conditions of democratic fragility
- assist in drafting a background paper, briefing notes, and synthesis documents to inform a workshop focussed on collective business engagement for democracy
- support the preparation and organisation the workshop and roundtable discussions (e.g. agenda development, facilitation materials)
- assist in the production of workshop report
Who we are looking for
The successful candidate will have
- a Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Political Science, Business Studies, Public Policy, or a related field
- strong research and analytical skills, with experience in causal identification, quantitative and/or qualitative methods
- demonstrated interest in democratic governance, corporate political responsibility, and political economy
- excellent writing and communication skills, with experience in drafting reports and policy briefs
- ability to synthesize complex information and present findings clearly to non-academic audiences
- strong organizational skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively within a research team.
Experience in engaging with business leaders, policymakers, or civil society organizations is desirable.
Supervision and collaboration arrangements
The student will have weekly catch ups with Prof Petra Schleiter, Centre for Democratic Resilience and DPIR; Dr Edward Brooks, Director of the Global Leadership Programme and DPIR.
The Research assistant will have the opportunity to attend relevant workshops, seminars, and training, as well as other professional development opportunities that may arise. They will benefit from liaising leading scholars, policy stakeholders, and business leaders.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to sponsor the student for a visa covering the duration of the placement, if required.
How to Apply
Please submit the following by e-mailing placements.gudtp@socsci.ox.ac.uk:
- a cover letter detailing your motivation and suitability for the role (no more than 2 pages)
- a CV detailing full academic results to date and highlighting relevant experience and skills
- a writing sample (e.g., research paper, policy brief, or industry report of no more than 5000 words)
For any inquiries, please contact Prof. Petra Schleiter (petra.schleiter@politics.ox.ac.uk).
We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Our team is committed to fostering an inclusive research environment.
Deadline for applications: Sunday 8 March 2026
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on Friday 13 March or Monday 16 March.
