University of Chicago

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago invites applications for a full-time Senior Research Associate for a two-year term. This non-tenure track position will begin as early as March 1, 2024. The Senior Research Associate (SRA) will work with the faculty Director to conduct and advance the research agenda of the Center for the Economics of Human Development. The position requires a PhD in Economics, a strong background in empirical research, experience with grant writing, at least four year of experience in post-graduate research, and a record of managing and mentoring students and researchers. Working in collaboration with the faculty director, the SRA will conduct original research and co-author and solo-author academic publications in relation to the project The Origins and Persistence of Inequality in Denmark, which is spearheaded by Dr. James Heckman (CEHD) and Dr. Rasmus Landersø (Rockwool Foundation). This project investigates the causes and nature of inequality and its persistence across generations. We utilize a rich array of longitudinal data drawn from secure administrative sources in Denmark and the United States to analyze intergenerational inequality across a wide number of dimensions and to understand the mechanisms behind how parents’ resources and investments in their children, along with social influence, serve to create opportunities.

The SRA’s work on this project will enable CEHD to drive forward work that will shed light on how inequality in adult outcomes arises and how government policies can best serve to mitigate inequality. The overarching goal of this work is to examine the origins of human differences and the effectiveness of alternative intervention strategies to foster human skills and capacities and remediate intergenerational transmission of disadvantages. The SRA is expected to have an active role in obtaining and carrying out funded research for this project, and in the publishing of results. The position requires demonstrated expertise in econometric models of human development, policy formation, and applied microeconomics.

The SRA will organize a variety of large-scale developmental data sets, and as such, the SRA should demonstrate experience with registry data, survey data, and experimental data. To carry out this work, the SRA will supervise researchers of all levels (e.g., undergraduate students, graduate students, and predoctoral fellows), and therefore, the position requires a demonstrated record of managing students and researchers. The SRA will also participate in disseminating the work of the Center, including making presentations at professional conferences, and therefore, the position requires demonstrated experience in this area and the ability to travel domestically and internationally. Other duties may include hosting visitors at the Center, writing grant proposals or reports, and working with the Executive Director to develop and implement a comprehensive research strategy for the Center. These tasks may include participating in recruiting, hiring, and managing researchers, participating in bi-weekly research meetings, identifying or vetting research partners, and disseminating the research of the Center. The SRA is expected to meet tight deadlines in a high-pressure work environment.