Research assistants wanted to Swedish power elite project (1–2 positions)

The Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS) is looking for one or two research assistants for the project Fragmentation or cohesion? Networks and organizations of the Swedish power elite, funded by the Swedish Research Council. The project, a collaboration with Lund University, Roskilde University and Copenhagen Business School, studies who holds the top positions in Sweden and how they are connected to one another. It runs from 2026 to 2029. A central part of the work is building data on organisations and people from public sources.

Role, tasks and qualifications

You will work with the project's postdoc on collecting and processing data. We are primarily looking for one person for position A, focused on data collection in R, and may also hire a second person for position B, focused on manual collection from Swedish sources. Please state in your application which position you are applying for. You may apply for both.

For both positions we are looking for someone with a bachelor's degree in the social sciences, such as political science, sociology or economic history. It is important that you are careful and organised and can work independently. Earlier work as a research assistant is a merit. A master's degree is also a merit.

Position A

Tasks
You will work mainly in R. You will retrieve data from public registers and websites, clean and join tables, and check and document where every entry comes from. Part of the collection is done by hand, and you will help organise and review it.

Qualifications
You have experience of data management and programming in R. Experience of web scraping or APIs, and an interest in Swedish politics and society are merits. Good Swedish is necessary, since most sources are in Swedish. You need to be able to read them, but not to write fluently. Very good English is required, since English is the project's working language.

Position B

Tasks
You will work on the part of the data collection that is done by hand. You will find and read annual reports, government decisions and organisations' websites, and record who sits on their boards and in their management. Later in the project, you will also check biographical information against its sources.

Qualifications
You have a good knowledge of how Swedish politics and public administration work. Experience with documents or archival material, and the ability to read and run simple R code are merits. You are patient, since the work is often detailed and repetitive. Fluent Swedish is necessary, since you will read official and other formal documents in Swedish. Good English is required, since English is the project's working language.

The workplace

The Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS) is an independent research foundation conducting interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research on crucial questions about the future: the climate and our responsibility to future generations, new technologies and the future of humanity, the long-term development of democracy, equality and discrimination, and much more. Through seminars, publications and broad collaborations, we work to bring a long-term perspective into research and public debate. Just over a hundred researchers are currently employed at the Institute.

Extent and type of employment

We plan to hire one or two people. The positions are fixed-term for approximately six months. The positions may be part-time or full-time, by agreement.

Location

Stockholm

Start

As soon as possible.

Application

Your application should include a short description of your background and suitability for the position, a CV, grades from post-secondary courses (e.g. a LADOK transcript), names and phone numbers of at least two references, and your bachelor's master's thesis. If you apply for position A, please also attach a sample of R code you have written.

Mark your application "Forskningsassistent Makteliten A", "Forskningsassistent Makteliten B" or "Forskningsassistent Makteliten A och B".

Deadline

Send your application by 18 October 2026 to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the positions may be filled before the deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Contact

For questions about the positions and the project, contact PI Anna Tyllström, [email protected].
Facklig representant för ST är Cecilia Byström, [email protected].

We look forward to your application!

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