Lead Geopolitical Analyst

JOB DESCRIPTION:
LEAD GEOPOLITICAL RESEARCH ANALYST
Specialisation in Indo-Pacific | APAC | South Asia | West Asia | Middle East | Central Asia | Africa |
Americas
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Remote
Reports To: Intelligence Manager / Project Manager
Works Directly Under Director- Research
ABOUT CONTESTED SPHERES
Bridging academia and industry to help shape India’s strategic future. At Contested Spheres, we
study the forces shaping a contested world, from geopolitics and political risk to emerging
strategic challenges, and turn them into clear, grounded intelligence.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking a Lead Geopolitical Research Analyst to drive high-impact research, continuous
intelligence monitoring, and strategic risk analysis across key global regions. The ideal candidate
will monitor political, economic, security, and strategic developments, identifying emerging risks
and opportunities to translate complex open-source matrices into clear, evidence-based, and
decision-useful intelligence products.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Geopolitical Research & Analysis
• Lead in-depth research on geopolitical developments across assigned regions and countries.
• Analyse political, diplomatic, economic, military, social, and strategic developments and their
potential regional and global implications.
• Track changes in foreign policy, strategic partnerships, conflicts, elections, political transitions, sanctions, trade relations, and regional alignments.
2. Geopolitical Intelligence & OSINT
• Conduct structured Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) research using government publications, official statements, international organisations, credible media, academic research, think-tank publications, corporate disclosures, and other relevant sources.
• Verify, cross-reference, and assess the credibility of information before incorporating it into intelligence products.
3. Risk & Strategic Assessment
• Assess geopolitical, political, economic, security, and operational risks.
• Develop risk assessments, early-warning indicators, and scenario analyses.
4. Intelligence Products & Publications
• Convert complex developments into concise, analytical, and actionable outputs, rather than
simple news summaries, producing high-quality: Daily/Weekly/monthly geopolitical intelligence updates.
5. Lead Responsibilities
• Mentor junior researchers and analysts.
• Coordinate multiple research assignments and meet strict deadlines.
• Contribute to the development of the organisation’s geopolitical intelligence methodology and research agenda.
REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
Essential:
• Strong understanding of international relations, geopolitics, and global affairs.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent geopolitical research with strong OSINT research
and source-validation skills.
• Ability to analyse political, economic, security, and strategic developments under tight
deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with explicit attention to detail and fact-
checking.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Preferred:
• Experience with geopolitical intelligence, risk intelligence, think tanks, consulting, strategic
research, international affairs, national security, or related fields.
• Knowledge of intelligence-analysis methodologies such as indicators & warnings, scenario analysis, and risk assessment.
• Familiarity with geopolitical databases, OSINT platforms, and analytical tools.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Political Science, International Security, Strategic Studies, Defence Studies, Geopolitics, Area Studies, Economics, or a related discipline.
Preferred Education: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree from a recognised university with demonstrated research experience or professional certifications in intelligence analysis.
Recommended Experience: 0-3 years of relevant experience in geopolitical research, risk
intelligence, consulting, think tanks, or defence research. Candidates with exceptional academic
research and publication records will also be highly considered.
At Contested Spheres, the analyst is expected to look behind global events, identify emerging
patterns, and directly address five key operational questions: What happened? Why does it
matter? What could happen next? What are the indicators to watch? Who could be affected?

Work arrangement
Yes