Research Engineer // ‘Pastoralism in the Gobi: characteristics, developments and prospects (GOBI)’

Background and objectives of the post    

Founded in 1795, Inalco offers a range of courses in over 100 languages and humanities and social sciences specialising in non-Western regions, recognised both in France and internationally. Supported by 14 research teams (8 joint research units and 6 in-house units), research at Inalco combines area studies with disciplinary fields.

The post of research engineer is to be filled as part of the project ‘Pastoralism in the Gobi: Characteristics, Developments and Prospects (GOBI)’, funded by the Inalco Foundation, which aims to document the environmental, social, economic and demographic dimensions of pastoral practices in the Gobi Desert, in southern Mongolia. The Gobi Desert region provides a unique vantage point for analysing the dynamics that constrain or influence the way of life of herders, owing to its scarce water and grazing resources, as well as its high concentration of sectors that interact directly or indirectly with pastoralism and the management of its resources: extractive industries, nature reserves, and organisations managing the organisation of certain pastoral activities, within frameworks established by the Mongolian government, NGOs or private companies. The GOBI project focuses on specific local dynamics, which may give rise to tensions over the management of pastures, access to water and livestock, but which may also be a source of job creation and economic opportunities, against a backdrop of increasing environmental change within a fragile ecosystem.

The successful candidate will contribute to the project by documenting the interplay between pastoral and non-pastoral practices, drawing on the available literature on the subject, assisting with the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected by members of the research team, and potentially conducting their own field research if theywishes to do so. Given the extent of the study area, the research engineer will be expected to be able to process and produce datasets that integrate different scales.

Duties and activities  

The research engineer will report to the project leader, Charlotte Marchina, and will focus primarily on the interaction between pastoral and non-pastoral practices by synthesising the available research.

The successful candidate will also assist with the processing of quantitative and qualitative data provided by other project members, particularly in the production of maps and statistical representations.

Finally, they may, if they wish, undertake a field assignment (the costs of which will be fully funded by the project) in order to contribute original data to the project.
Furthermore, the engineer will actively participate in the various activities organised by the research group (workshops, working meetings), as well as in the organisation of public events planned as part of the project (conferences, study days, etc.).
Finally, he or she is expected to contribute to the publication of a journal article and to the collective volume planned as part of the project.

Skills   

TECHNICAL SKILLS 

The successful candidate must hold a Master’s degree in social sciences involving qualitative field research (anthropology, sociology, geography, etc.) in Mongolia.
They must have a good command of basic IT tools (word processing, spreadsheets), as well as at least one of the software programmes used to process data from the GOBI project in order to produce maps and statistical analyses (e.g. QGIS, R, etc.).
Finally, they must be fluent in French and English, and have a reasonable command of the Mongolian language.

GENERAL SKILLS AND EXPERTISE 

As the Gobi remains a relatively under-researched area in the social sciences, the successful candidate must be open to an interdisciplinary approach, conducting literature reviews in disciplines related to their research topics and working collaboratively with a team of researchers from other social sciences, or even environmental sciences.

HR information    

• Contract type: Position open to contract staff on a 12-month fixed-term contract, renewable;
• Category / Grade: Category A;
• Gross salary: €2,500;
• Full-time: 38 hours 45 minutes per week, Monday to Friday;
• All positions at INALCO are open to people with disabilities;
• 54 days’ paid annual leave, including 2 periods of compulsory closure (3 weeks in summer and 1 week at Christmas);
• Remote working: Regular or occasional days of remote working, depending on operational requirements;
• Job location: 65 rue des Grands Moulins, 75013 Paris;
• Desired start date: From 01/01/2027

Working at INALCO means enjoying numerous benefits, such as catering options, cultural and leisure activities organised by the Inalco Staff Association (API), as well as on-site sports activities (including yoga). It also offers the opportunity to take evening or distance-learning courses to learn a less commonly taught language: Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and many others.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter by 18 November 2026 at the latest to the following addresses: View e-mail  with a copy to View e-mail 
Auditions will be held between 19/11/2026 and 27/11/2026