InvEnt News & Events

Post-doctoral research fellow, emlyon business school’s InvEnt Research Center
 

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Center (“InvEnt”) at emlyon business school is looking to fill a 2-year funded post-doctoral position starting on September 1^st, 2026

This post-doctoral position provides a promising scholar with excellent opportunities to move forward in her/his own research projects and start new projects, advancing her/his career by working with experienced scholars. Previous post-doctoral fellows have succeeded in publishing in top journals in our field and have been hired by leading schools in both France and internationally.

Our research center offers a supportive, collegial, and dynamic environment. It organizes guest-speaker talks,  workshops, regular seminars to discuss and present internal research, as well as mentoring PhDs, DBAs, and junior faculty members. The InvEnt Research Center brings together researchers interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, social innovation/entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial finance. It counts among its members internationally renowned scholars, including some with editorial experience, and as a center we have published in prestigious journals such as: Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, American Journal of Sociology, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Management Science, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Research Policy, Small Business Economics, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Strategic Management Journal. We are intellectually and methodologically open and pluralistic. 

The School is based in Lyon in the south-east of France where we have recently moved into a brand-new purpose-built campus in the Gerland area close to the city centre. Lyon is a thriving, bustling, picturesque, diverse  and affordable city.

The successful candidate will be passionate about research, energetic, and open minded. Responsibilities include conducting high-quality research, taking an active part in research center activities, and assisting in the organization of seminars, workshops, and in promoting the center’s activities on social media as well as on its own website (https://sites-wordpress.em-lyon.com/invent/) Teaching is not required, but possible if the successful candidate would like to build up some teaching experience. The working language is English; knowledge of French is useful but certainly not a requirement.

We will prioritize candidates with a demonstrated interest in one (or more) of the following research themes in which members of the group are actively engaged:

1. Entrepreneurship Enacted: Agency, Identity, and Strategic Action – How do entrepreneurs, teams, and organizations navigate uncertainty, build ventures, and act strategically in pursuit of legitimacy, survival, and growth under real-world constraints and complexities?

2. Entrepreneurship Embedded: Inclusive Conditions for Entrepreneuring and Social Innovation – How do institutions, places, and ecosystems shape access to and experiences of innovation and entrepreneurship — and how can inclusion be fostered in a sustainable way?

3. Entrepreneurship Transformed: Technology and the Future of Innovation – How do emerging technologies, digital platforms, and AI reshape the future of innovation, organizing, and entrepreneurship?

We will consider candidates with methodological expertise in either quantitative or qualitative methods, or any combination of both.

The successful candidate is required to have a PhD in a relevant field before starting the post-doc contract. She/he will benefit from at least one faculty mentor to help develop the candidate’s own academic career, over their two-year contract. She/he will also receive budget support for research and travel, the same excellent health care plan as faculty, and a salary that is competitive with other top European business schools.

The application package should consist of the following documents (merged in a single PDF file):

• A cover letter explaining your research agenda and motivation to join our team
• An up-to-date CV mentioning names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses of 3 referees
• A sample of your research (up to 3 published papers and/or working papers)    

The Recruiting Committee consists of:

• Prof. Saulo Dubard Barbosa (chair): barbosa@em-lyon.com
• Prof. Tom Elfring: elfring@emlyon.com
• Associate Prof. Nevena Radoynovska: radoynovska@em-lyon.com
• Assistant Prof. Ahmed Nofal: nofal@em-lyon.com

Please send your application and any inquiries to Prof. Saulo Dubard Barbosa (barbosa@em-lyon.com) and to Elisabeth Gelas (gelas@em-lyon.com ).

The closing date for applications is May 31st. Online interviews with selected candidates will be scheduled in June, 2026.

Early applications are strongly encouraged.