Postdoctoral Research Associate - Integrated Building Deployment and Analysis Group

About the role

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will work with a multi-disciplinary group of experts in economics, engineering, software development, and building energy modeling on the economic and policy aspects of residential building retrofitting.

Responsibilities

• Interacting with a team of experts at ORNL on projects evaluating the U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program and its efficacy in delivering the intended residential energy cost and other household direct benefits.
• Data collection, processing/curation, and analysis.
• Development and implementation of econometric analysis (e.g., difference-in-differences).
• Contributions to reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Collaborate with ORNL scientists involved in these efforts, to gain expertise in the economic analysis of energy program delivery relevant to the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Energy Economics or related Applied Economics discipline with a strong quantitative focus.
• Demonstrable knowledge of applied econometrics and statistical evaluation methods, such as:
• Difference-in-Differences (DiD)
• Fixed-effects panel models
• Matching methods (PSM, CEM, nearest-neighbor)
• Regression-based normalization
• Longitudinal and cross-sectional data analysis.
• Experience working with large administrative or program datasets.
• Proficiency in statistical programming and data analysis tools:
• R, Python, Stata, or SAS
• SQL/database management preferred.
• Ability to clean, harmonize, and analyze complex datasets from multiple sources.
• Experience developing reproducible analytical workflows and documentation.
• Demonstrable specialized communication skills:
• Proficient technical and scientific writing
• Publishation record in peer-reviewed journals or technical reports
• Ability to present findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently and interact with a multi-disciplinary group.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with federal data governance, privacy protection, and anonymization practices.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, state agencies, utilities, or national laboratories.
• Experience with policy evaluation and analysis using economic models.
• Experience with visualization and interactive application development in R and Python.
• Author or co-author of peer-reviewed literature publications.

Special Requirements

• Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.