Back to jobs
New

Research Professional – Ali Hortacsu and Gunter Hitsch (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)

Chicago, IL

Job Title: Research Professional (RP) 

Location: Chicago, IL 

Salary Ranges: $59,000–62,000 annual salary (full-time, benefit eligible)

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

Projects: Projects in all areas connected to the economics of industry. Research professionals work closely with faculty on project areas including but not limited to theoretical and empirical work on strategic firm interactions, estimation of demand and production functions, advertising and information asymmetries, regulations and their impact on firm performance and broader economic outcomes, the design of market mechanisms for private and public sector applications.

Expected Start Date: July 1, 2026

Department: Becker Friedman Institute 

 Reporting To: Ali Hortacsu, Gunter Hitsch

Job Summary 

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire a full-time Research Professional to work with Professors Ali Hortacsu and Gunter Hitsch as part of BFI's Industrial Organization Initiative and BFI's Predoctoral Research in Economics Program (PREP). The BFI IO initiative sponsors projects in all areas connected to the economics of industry. Research professionals work closely with faculty on project areas including but not limited to theoretical and empirical work on strategic firm interactions, estimation of demand and production functions, advertising and information asymmetries, regulations and their impact on firm performance and broader economic outcomes, the design of market mechanisms for private and public sector applications. Requirements: mastery of undergraduate econometrics and statistics, and proficiency in R/Python/Stata and robust software development practices. 

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2026 and 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 begin on July 1, 2026 and 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

  • Write programs in Stata/R/Python to analyze large datasets
  • Construct maps, figures, and tables for economics papers
  • Identify new data sources
  • Editing tasks
  • Other duties as assigned

Unit-Preferred Competencies

  • Desired 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.
  • 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.

Experience

  • Relevant research experience as a research assistant.

Technical Knowledge/Skills

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

Required Documents:

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

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. 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago (BFI)? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Academic Transcripts*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Writing Sample*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
How did you hear about this position?

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago (BFI)’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.