The John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University is seeking a full-time Post-Doctoral Fellow to develop and co-lead research projects relevant to family businesses, broadly defined, corporate governance or entrepreneurship. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will work closely with the Center’s Faculty Director (Carola Frydman, Professor of Finance), faculty affiliated with the Ward Center and pre-doctoral research assistants, and will collaborate with other Kellogg and Northwestern faculty members.

The Fellow will provide intellectual leadership and management for analytical work. This includes producing research articles, developing data projects, supporting research dissemination, and developing and participating in conferences and seminars.

The Fellowship does allow for time for work on independent research within work hours, and it therefore provides an opportunity for further developing an independent research portfolio.

The position also offers opportunities for co-authorship on publications. The Fellow will be encouraged to develop collaborative relationships with faculty at the Kellogg School of Management and other relevant departments around campus to foster the development of the Fellow’s academic career in a supportive, engaging, and diverse environment.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include developing research ideas and leading design of new research projects; contribute to strategic decisions about new initiatives; supporting ongoing research activities, including data collection and analysis; assisting in the management of ongoing research efforts, including the selection of key research personnel, such as research assistants; co-authoring research articles, progress reports and white papers; producing data of interest to practitioners and families; presenting research findings at academic meetings and conferences, and to members of family enterprises; and supporting the organization of academic conferences.

The Fellow is expected to regularly attend Kellogg research seminars consistent with their academic background and interest and will have access to the broader intellectual community and activities of the Ward Center. These activities will help develop a practical understanding of corporate governance and entrepreneurship from the perspective of family enterprises.

Education

Ph.D. in economics, finance, strategy, management, or related fields.

Ideal applicants must have completed the requirements for their Ph.D. before starting the Post doctoral Fellowship.

Desired competencies

Track record for excellence in research
Curiosity about the challenges and opportunities for family enterprises
Familiarity with the corporate governance or entrepreneurship literatures
Strong analytical skills
Experience creating and analyzing large data sets

Ideal but not required:

Experience or interest with design and collection of survey data

Application process

Interested applicants will be asked to submit (1) a current CV, (2) a job market paper, and (3) a cover letter that provides a brief description of interest in the position, outlines areas of corporate governance and entrepreneurship that are of interest, and, if at all, describes how research interests may be relevant to family enterprises. Applicants will be also asked to provide three letters of recommendation.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
The position has flexible starting dates from July to September of 2025. It is slated to last one year with opportunity for renewal for up to two more years.

Applications accepted here: Apply for Job

For more information about the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises, please visit our website at wardcenter.net. Further inquiries about the position can be directed to familyenterprises@kellogg.nortwestern.edu

The expected base pay range for this position is $75,000-$95,000

This base pay range is for a twelve-month academic appointment and is subject to negotiation.

Northwestern University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate including years since terminal degree, training, and field or discipline; departmental budget availability; internal equity; and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.