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Research Professional – Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, Rodrigo Adao (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)

Chicago, IL

Job Title: Research Professional (RP) 

Location: Chicago, IL 

Salary Ranges: $55,000–62,000 annual salary, additional $2,000 professional development fund 

Terms: Seeking a Research Professional for a period of at least one but ideally two years 

Projects: Projects include work on new and ongoing research projects in and related to international finance, macro, and spatial economics.  

Expected Start Date: July 2026 

Number of Hires: Multiple 

Department: Becker Friedman Institute  
 

Job Summary 

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire a full-time Research Professional to work with Professors Esteban Rossi-Hansberg and Rodrigo Adao on ongoing and new research projects related to international finance, macro, and spatial economics. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2026 and available to begin work in July 2026. The Research Professional’s responsibilities will span all stages of research, including collecting data of in both tabular and spatial formats, developing algorithms that clean and organize data, conducting statistical analyses, running simulations, and preparing manuscripts and presentations. 

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Applicants must have strong quantitative and programming skills. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with experience in Stata, R, Python or Matlab. The ideal candidate would work for BFI for one or two years before applying to graduate school in Economics or another quantitative social science. BFI offers competitive salary and employee benefits. 

Unit-Specific Responsibilities

  • Cleans and analyzes data. 
  • Writes or finalizes replicable data files or scripts for publication. 
  • Assists with writing data analysis plans and contributes to preparing study registration documents. 
  • Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project. 
  • Analyzes and maintains data. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents. 
  • Performs other related work as needed. 

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 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

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

  • Bachelor's degree in economics, computer sciences, engineering, or related STEM fields is highly desirable.

Experience

  • Minimum of one year of work experience in a related job discipline. Experience gained through coursework may be counted as relevant experience.  

Technical Knowledge/Skills

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

Preferred Qualifications:

Education

  • Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a related field. 

Experience

  • Experience in with statistics and econometrics. 
  • Working as a research assistant. 
  • Analyzing large data sets, applying econometrics methods or machine learning techniques. 

Technical Knowledge/Skills

  • Advanced knowledge of research technique and methods in relevant scientific field. 
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines. 
  • Work both independently and as a team member. 
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. 

Application Documents

  • Resume/CV (required)
  • Cover Letter (required)
  • Writing Sample (required)
  • Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) (required)
  • Two Professional References (required)

About the Department  

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI has the potential to play a significant role in meeting the most difficult challenges facing the global community. 

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. 

 

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