About this opening
MindGame Research Lab is an independent NGO and interdisciplinary research center based at the Faculty of Economics and Management of Nabeul (FSEGN). Dedicated to advancing research in behavioral science, our lab combines rigorous theoretical frameworks with empirical methods and practical decision-making applications. As we expand our research portfolio and theoretical capacity, we are seeking an intellectually curious, analytical, and academically driven Head of Research Hub to lead our theoretical modeling, behavioral research, and scientific development.
Why Join Us?
In our lab, science is a shared journey built on community, knowledge-sharing, and growth:
- Scientific Family: Join a warm, collaborative research environment where researchers work together, exchange ideas, learn from one another, and build meaningful academic and professional connections.
- Research Leadership: Take an active leadership role in developing research agendas, coordinating theoretical work, supervising young researchers, and helping transform research ideas into structured scientific projects.
- Advanced Research Experience: Work directly on game-theoretic models, behavioral frameworks, mathematical formulations, literature synthesis, and research design while developing strong academic and analytical skills.
- International Research Exposure: Engage with international researchers, academic networks, seminars, workshops, and collaborative research initiatives, gaining experience in conducting research within a global scientific environment.
- Academic Development: Contribute to research projects, working papers, conference outputs, and journal submissions while developing a strong research profile and learning how high-quality academic research is designed, developed, and communicated.
Position Overview
Reporting directly to the Principal Investigator (PI), the Head of Research Hub serves as the scientific and theoretical lead of MindGame's Research Hub. The position is responsible for coordinating theoretical research, developing behavioral and game-theoretic models, guiding research fellows and assistants, and ensuring that the lab's theoretical work is scientifically rigorous, coherent, and aligned with its broader research agenda.
The Head of Research Hub will work closely with the Tech & Data Hub and Experimentation Hub to transform theoretical ideas into computational models, experiments, and empirical research.
Key Responsibilities
- Theoretical Modeling: Develop, formulate, and refine game-theoretic, behavioral, and mathematical models addressing strategic interaction, decision-making, bounded rationality, and related research questions.
- Research Framework Development: Translate broad research ideas into structured research questions, hypotheses, conceptual frameworks, analytical models, and testable predictions.
- Literature Review & Synthesis: Lead systematic literature reviews and theoretical synthesis to identify research gaps, establish theoretical foundations, and guide the development of new research projects.
- Behavioral Research: Contribute to the development of behavioral theories and frameworks that account for bounded rationality, learning, beliefs, strategic behavior, and contextual factors in decision-making.
- Research Supervision: Supervise Research Fellows, Pre-Doctoral Fellows, and Research Assistants, providing methodological guidance, feedback, and support throughout their research activities.
- Cross-Hub Collaboration: Work closely with the Tech & Data Hub to translate theoretical models into computational simulations and with the Experimentation Hub to develop experiments, surveys, and empirical tests.
- Academic Output: Contribute to working papers, conference presentations, research reports, and journal submissions emerging from MindGame research projects.
- Research Quality & Strategy: Review theoretical work produced within the Research Hub, ensure methodological consistency, and help establish high academic standards across the lab's research activities.
- Scientific Coordination: Participate in bi-weekly Hub Lead meetings and contribute to the strategic coordination of MindGame's research portfolio.
Qualifications & Mindset
- Academic Background: Master's degree in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or another related quantitative field. PhD students and early-career researchers are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Research Experience: Demonstrated experience in academic research, including research projects, dissertations, working papers, conference participation, seminars, or scientific publications.
- Theoretical & Technical Skills: Strong knowledge of Game Theory, Behavioral Economics, mathematical modeling, and quantitative research methods. Familiarity with LaTeX and reference-management tools such as Zotero is highly desirable.
- Analytical Skills: Strong ability to formulate research questions, construct theoretical models, analyze complex problems, synthesize academic literature, and communicate scientific ideas clearly.
- Research Communication: Ability to explain complex theoretical concepts clearly to researchers from different disciplines and collaborate effectively across theoretical, computational, and experimental teams.
- MindGame-Specific Attributes: Intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, independence, collaborative spirit, and a genuine interest in understanding human decision-making, strategic interaction, bounded rationality, and behavioral science beyond traditional assumptions.
- Contextual Research Perspective: Strong interest in developing research that considers diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts, particularly African contexts,
Position Details
- Role Type: Volunteer
- Target Start Date: October 1, 2026
- Location: FSEG Nabeul, Tunisia (Hybrid)
How to Apply
Interested candidates must submit their application through our Official Application Portal by September 20, 2026.
Technical Support & Inquiries:
If you encounter any technical issues during the application process or have questions regarding the role, please reach out via email at mindgame.research.lab@gmail.com or via WhatsApp at +216 55 67 67 97.
Important: Please ensure you CC (copy) malek.othman@fsegn.ucar.tn on all email submissions and technical support correspondence.
Note: As the position involves academic communication, research collaboration, and engagement with both local and international researchers, proficiency in English and Arabic will be assessed during the interview process.
What we’re looking for
