Political Risk Analyst Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

ERI is seeking a mid-career Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Intelligence Analyst to be embedded with one of our multinational pharmaceutical sector clients. This position will serve as a central node in a global network of intelligence analysts designed to anticipate, assess, and respond to any threat to our client's people, assets, operations, or reputation across the Asia-Pacific region.

The ideal candidate brings a can-do, forward-looking attitude, impeccable judgment, deep regional expertise across Asia-Pacific, proficiency in Mandarin or other Asian languages, experience with enterprise-level intelligence programs responding to both tactical and strategic security threats, analytical rigor, and leadership presence — driving a proactive security posture that supports the company's mission, business continuity, and strategic decision-making across the region and worldwide.

Professional or intermediate-level Mandarin language proficiency (spoken and written) is required.

This is NOT a cyber security or technical role.

About Us

Emergent Risk International (ERI), is a global strategic intelligence advisory firm focused on business-centered risk and resilience. Specialized in geopolitical, regulatory and security risks in global business, ERI provides subscription intelligence and analysis, embedded services, training, and consulting to the world's leading organizations. For over a decade, ERI has delivered trusted geopolitical insights, trained thousands of intelligence professionals, set standards, and led the way.

Every team member of ERI is a brand guardian of the business, and the core values and principles we follow and expect of others are:

• Ethics First. Always
• Impactful. Future Forward
• Innovative by Design
• People-centered. Passion-fueled
• Learning Together. Leading Together.

Role and Responsibilities

The Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Intelligence Analyst will collaborate with an existing global intelligence team responsible for strategic, tactical, and geopolitical intelligence — with a primary focus on the Asia-Pacific region — along with travel safety, protective intelligence, event and location risk and threat assessment, and other requirements as needed.

Responsibilities for this role include:

• Produce forward-looking, actionable intelligence and risk assessments that inform executive decisions at both the tactical and strategic level.
• Conduct proactive research using open-source tools, vendor platforms, Mandarin-language sources, and social media to identify business risks from geopolitical, security, and any other issues affecting the client's operations across Asia-Pacific and globally.
• Develop an expert understanding of the client’s business model, assets, operations and locations, ensuring that all intelligence and reporting is tailored to the client’s specific needs.
• Track threats and risk trends at tactical, operational, and strategic levels, ensuring outputs are appropriately calibrated for each audience — from site security teams to senior leadership.
• Develop and maintain deep situational awareness of Asia-Pacific risks that may impact client business operations, including geopolitical tensions, territorial disputes, cross-strait dynamics, conflict, supply chain disruption, civil unrest, labor issues, climate-related disruption, political instability, regulatory or legislative changes, and organized crime.
• Produce concise, well-structured intelligence products that contextualize risk within business operations.
• Proactively identify, evaluate, and analyze open-source intelligence including think tanks, social media, Asian-Pacific local and regional media, NGO reports, and other datasets to identify business risks specific to the Asia-Pacific operating environment.
• Proactively identify business-relevant strategic intelligence topics to propose to senior management.
• Utilize appropriate client-sanctioned AI tools for applied intelligence analysis, in line with best practice and ERI ethical and operational standards.
• Bring a mature and self-driven mindset, comfortable with ambiguity
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Foster a positive service-level mindset towards the client.
• Ensure compliance with client and ERI policies and procedures.
• Collaborating with sector-specific information sharing groups, public-private partnerships, and external subject matter experts to enrich analysis and broaden situational awareness.
• Communicate findings clearly and confidently, including briefings to non-technical audiences and senior leadership.
• Additional tasks as necessary to the role and the team’s efficient, impactful functioning.

Qualifications

Experience: 4–8 years in global intelligence-related roles, with at least 3 years in a mid-level role and demonstrated experience in a corporate or multinational company setting, with a strong focus on Asia-Pacific geopolitical, security, or political risk analysis. Having resided or traveled in the Asia-Pacific region a plus.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Intelligence, International Relations, Asian Studies, Political Science, Security Studies, or a similar discipline (Master's degree preferred).

Capabilities

• Experience in building and maintaining positive relationships with clients and key stakeholders.
• Expertise in intelligence tradecraft (collection, information verification, analysis, dissemination).
• Strong command of OSINT methodologies and risk analysis tools; demonstrated ability to leverage Mandarin-language sources or other Asia-Pacific regional media and datasets.
• Professional or intermediate-level Mandarin language proficiency (spoken and written) is required.
• Ability to analyze and visualize data to surface meaningful patterns, support risk assessments, and accurately communicate complex findings.
• Excellent critical thinking, writing, editing and verbal briefing skills for executive level‑ audiences.
• Proven ability to anticipate team or business needs and take ownership of project delivery, managing multiple timelines and resources independently.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and finding answers or solutions when information isn’t readily available.
• Experience managing crisis communications and decision support under pressure and time constraints.
• Integrity, discretion, and commitment to ethical intelligence practice.
• Experience or ability to provide mentoring and coaching to junior analysts where required.
• Good knowledge of AI systems, limitations, capabilities, and appropriate ethical use.

Other Requirements

• Eligible to legally work and reside in the United States.
• Successful completion of background and credential screening and drug screening where legally allowed.
• Availability to support after-hours operations and regional travel as needed.
• Successfully complete all ERI training, mentorship, and other ERI initiatives as appropriate.
• Regularly attend ERI Global Team Meetings, webinars and engage with other ERI analysts.

Location & Remuneration

Location: Fully remote for a US based candidate.

Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week. Occasional availability outside business hours required, including 24/7 crisis response capability.

Compensation: Compensation commensurate with experience and role scope. Includes professional development and access to ERI’s proprietary training and analytic tools.

ERI is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and professional integrity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. To be considered for this position, all applicants must independently possess the legal right to work in the jurisdiction in which the role is located.

Work Location: Remote