Pre-Doctoral Associate, Department of Economics and Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy

About the Role

The Department of Economics and Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy seeks a highly skilled and motivated individual to work as a full-time Pre-Doctoral Associate with Professor Jonathan Colmer and Professor Jay Shimshack for a period of two years. The successful candidate will also work closely with John Voorheis, Principal Economist at the U.S. Census Bureau, and support partnerships between Colmer, Shimshack, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Projects are expected to focus on deepening our understanding of how economic activity, policy, and the environment interact, and evaluating interventions that increase resilience and sustainability. The appointment will start in June 2027.

Responsibilities

• Gain exposure to and training in a broad range of research topics and methodologies before pursuing a PhD in Economics.
• Conduct cutting-edge economics research in the field of environmental economics and applied microeconomics.
• Develop advanced programming and data analysis skills, including working with confidential microdata.
• Perform day-to-day tasks such as data cleaning, organization, writing code and documentation, and data analysis.
• Conduct literature reviews and write policy briefs as needed.
• Participate in group research meetings and receive academic advising to prepare for a PhD career.
• Attend research seminars and interact with pre-docs, graduate students, faculty members, visiting experts, and external collaborators.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to meet the qualifications for Special Sworn Status or have Special Sworn Status with the U.S. Census Bureau.
• A quantitative background with strong programming skills in statistical analysis software (e.g., Stata, R, SAS, Python).
• Ability to work efficiently and independently to solve problems and manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent communication, time management, and organizational skills.
• Interest in pursuing a PhD in Economics or a related field.
• Intellectual curiosity, internal drive, and a desire to do things well.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Location

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed on-site. Occasional off-site work arrangements in Charlottesville may be required, related to work with restricted data sets.

Additional Information

Salary is competitive. This is a non-exempt-level, benefited position. This is a restricted position, dependent on funding and contingent upon funding availability. The position is for a term of two years. Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment. This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online by searching for requisition number R0088419. Complete an application with the following documents:

• A cover letter summarizing interest and qualifications
• A CV/resume
• University transcripts, including overall GPA and grades
• A writing sample (can be anything you have worked on for coursework or other RA work)
• A coding example (can be anything you have worked on for coursework or other RA work)
• Contact information for 3 references

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration. For questions about the application process, please contact Melanie Sponaugle, Recruiter, at unw5dq@virginia.edu.