Post-Doctoral Fellow, Trustworthy Infrastructures

Data & Society Research Institute is seeking an engaging and collaborative Post-Doctoral Fellow for the Trustworthy Infrastructures Program.

Organizational Summary:

Data & Society is an independent nonprofit research organization, studying the social implications of data-centric technologies, automation, and AI. We recognize that the same innovative technologies that may benefit society can also be abused to invade privacy, provide new tools of discrimination, foreclose opportunity, and harm individuals and communities. Through original research and inclusive engagement, we work to ensure that empirical evidence and respect for human dignity guide how technology is developed and governed.

About The Role:

Data & Society is seeking a post-doctoral research fellow for a two-year appointment for the Trustworthy Infrastructures program. The Trustworthy Infrastructures team researches community-driven responses to technology’s entrance into the most intimate parts of our working, material, personal, and public lives. We are interested in the sociopolitical conditions created by technological expansion, and how communities reassert their own power, agency, and knowledge in response. The fellow will be working primarily on the Nodes and Conduits project, which explores how post-industrial communities adapt to socioeconomic transformations driven by the tech industry. They will also have the opportunity to pursue their own research agenda. 

This role is shaped by an emergent body of work on the transformational role of the tech industry in driving the evolution of front-line communities most vulnerable to its expansion across the globe. As towns across Appalachia, the American Southwest, and large expanses across the Global Majority are re-organizing labor, land, democratic institutions, and social relationships to make room for AI’s infrastructure, this project aims to better understand the impacts on the lives of those at the center of this future. In addition to examining how communities cope with and adapt to these industrial transformations, this project aims to uncover the narratives of adaptation that contribute to deepening inequality in those sites, and the role of speculation in this evolution. 

The post-doctoral fellow will be working primarily (60%) on the Nodes and Conduits project, examining the social, economic, and political impacts of physical technological infrastructures on the communities most susceptible to sweeping this industrial change. This ethnographic study is best supported by a researcher with particular expertise in STS, infrastructure studies, anthropology, sociology, or urban studies. They will also have approximately 40% of their time available for their own research agenda. 

This position will report to the Director of the Trustworthy Infrastructures team and will not have people manager responsibilities. This position may begin as early as July 2025.

The Ideal Candidate: 

The ideal candidate may be trained in any number of disciplines but should have a strong empirical foundation; be interested in questions related to technology, power, infrastructure, trust, and community; and be excited to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment that includes social scientists, journalists, urbanists, computer scientists, artists, and practitioners. Candidates may have a PhD or equivalent experience in any number of disciplines but should have a strong background conducting empirical, qualitative social science fieldwork. Candidates should enjoy working on collaborative teams, contributing to peer intellectual production, and engaging broad public audiences with research. Ideal candidates are also committed to social change and oriented to practical applications of research and its implications for practice, design, and governance of new technologies, and a strong desire to understand how technology and power shape our society. Candidates should be able to write for multiple audiences and be part of a public-facing research institute.

Job Description

Primary Responsibilities 

• Contribute to major Trustworthy Infrastructures team projects as a full participant, including ideation, conducting fieldwork, and holding interviews associated with Nodes & Conduits, and other research needs as necessary
• Conceptualize, develop, and conduct an original research project
• Publish op-eds, blog posts, and papers related to ongoing research for academic and non-academic audiences
• Contribute to the culture of the Trustworthy Infrastructures team and the broader Data & Society community 
• Attend and collaborate with both internal and external researchers on outreach and network activities, including meetings, presentations, webinars, events, and conferences;
• Participate in team activities, including meetings, presentations, webinars, hearings, and conferences, which may require occasional travel

Skills and Qualifications

• Excellent research, writing, and communications skills supported by a strong empirical foundation
• PhD in Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Urban studies, or similar applicable field; degree must be completed before the starting date.
• Ability to independently conduct high-level qualitative research and fieldwork, including ethnographic studies, interviews, focus groups, and other research methods
• Expertise in STS, infrastructure studies, anthropology, sociology, or urban studies.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment
• Collaborative and generous intellectual partner 
• Ability to translate research for non-academic audiences, including journalists, policymakers, practitioners, organizers, civil society, and the broader community
• A deep commitment to social change and the practical applications of research for practice, design, and governance of new technologies
• A strong history of work demonstrating a desire to understand how technology and power shape our sociotechnical society
• Must be able to travel for fieldwork, conferences, or team meetings  during the appointment
• Strong analytical thinking; ability to conceptualize, develop, and conduct a research project.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to collaborate with other researchers internally and externally to develop and execute new research projects.

Organizational Values and Participation

• Commitment to advancing organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion; 
• Actively participate in programs and professional development opportunities that work to ensure we continue our commitment to being an anti-racist and anti-discrimination organization;
• To attend, where able, whole-organization activities such as staff meetings, retreats, town halls, listening sessions, workshops, training, and social events; and
• To participate, where able and appropriate, in contributing to the culture of D&S by participating in working groups and committees (e.g. DEIA Working Group).

Practical Considerations

1. Data & Society has committed to safety requirements to protect our staff from the COVID-19 pandemic. We require that prospective employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before joining our organization. Please note that any reasonable accommodation request is not guaranteed to be approved, and we will comply with ADA-related requirements to evaluate the accommodation against business needs.
2. This is currently a full-time, remote position in the Trustworthy Infrastructures program with an expected start date in July 2025. This is a 2-year fellowship position, with no expectation for extension. Data & Society is based in New York City, and will for the foreseeable future operate as a Remote-First organization. While this role will start as completely virtual, it may involve occasional onsite meetings in the future. 
3. You must be living and authorized to work in the United States; we are unable to sponsor visas. 
4. The salary range for this role is $68,000 to $84,000 annually, commensurate to experience. This salary offer will include a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance and access to a range of opt-in products and services including additional insurance and 401k management as well as paid time off, and paid federal holidays.

The salary range for this position is noted within this job posting. Where a prospective employee or employee is compensated within this salary range is dependent upon, among other factors, actual compensation for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure, and standing with the organization (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s overall qualifications: knowledge, skills, pertinent experience, and abilities.

To Apply, please submit the following items by April 18, 2025: 

1. A cover letter explaining your interest in this role, and why you would be a good fit for this position.
2. Your resume/CV is required.
3. The names, affiliations, and contact information for three (3) references. Only candidates who reach the final round of interviews may have their references contacted.
4. A 1-page research statement describing your research accomplishments,  intellectual interests, and future trajectory of your work.  
5. Two writing samples; one should be targeted to an academic audience, and the other should illustrate your ability to communicate complex research findings to a broad audience. This should include at least one publication where you are either a lead or contributing author writing about original empirical research.

Applications will be reviewed beginning April 18, 2025. Please feel free to contact us at jobs@datasociety.net should you have any questions about the role. Questions about the opportunity or process will not reflect negatively on your application.