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Research Professional – Manasi Deshpande, Magne Mogstad and Evan Rose (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)

Chicago, IL

Job Title: Research Professional – Manasi Deshpande, Magne Mogstad, and Evan Rose (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)

Location: Chicago, IL – Hyde Park Campus, Saieh Hall 

Expected Start Date: July 1, 2025

Please direct questions related to this posting to maskinner@uchicago.edu.

Job Summary

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire multiple full-time Research Professionals to work with Professors Manasi Deshpande, Magne Mogstad, and Evan Rose on ongoing and new research projects related to applied econometrics, labor and public economics. Applicants must be available to begin work in July 2025.

Successful candidates will work directly with Professors Manasi Deshpande, Magne Mogstad, and/or Evan Rose and co-authors as part of BFI’s Ronzetti Initiative for the Study of Labor Markets and BFI's Predoctoral Research in Economics Program (PREP). The position entails collaboration on new and ongoing research projects, with specialization in using applied microeconometric techniques to analyze labor markets and social policy in developed economies, including (but not limited to) 1) understanding changes in labor demand (e.g., international competition and trade, regulation and firm dynamics), 2) understanding labor supply (e.g., household labor supply, barriers to geographical and occupational mobility), 3) understanding the determination of the labor market equilibrium, 4) understanding the role of policy and institutions (e.g., the insurance and incentive effects of social insurance and safety net programs, quantifying monopsony power and implications), and 5) understanding interactions between labor markets and the criminal justice system (e.g., effects of economic shocks on crime and recidivism).

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Former Research Professionals have been admitted to PhD programs at the highest ranked economics programs in the US.

Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2025 and have strong quantitative and programming skills. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with experience in Stata, R, Julia, Python, and/or Matlab. The ideal candidate would begin on July 1, 2025, and work for BFI for two years before applying to graduate school in Economics or another quantitative social science. BFI offers competitive salary and employee benefits.

Unit-specific Responsibilities:

  • Write programs in Stata or other languages to analyze large datasets
  • Construct maps, figures, and tables for economics papers
  • Identify new data sources
  • Conduct background research
  • Edit papers
  • Other duties as assigned.

Unit-preferred Competencies:

  • Desired (but not required) skills include advanced familiarity with numerical optimization and package development in R and/or Python, and the ability to use Stata and R to manage and analyze large datasets. Although previous experience with any specific language is not essential, familiarity with at least one scripting language is encouraged.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong academic writing/communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Education

  • Bachelor's degree in economics, computer sciences, engineering, or related STEM fields is highly desirable.  Background in economics is a plus, but not necessary -- we welcome candidates with strong technical backgrounds and strong analytical skills who are looking for more exposure to economics.

Experience

  • Relevant research experience as a research assistant (especially with data).

Technical Knowledge/Skills

  • Knowledge of R, Julia and/or Python preferred
  • Knowledge of STATA preferred

Required Documents:

  • Resume/CV
  • Writing sample
  • Transcripts (unofficial is ok)

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