"Post-Doctoral Fellow, School of Economics"

About UNSW

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community; a community doing extraordinary things. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. It’s the reason we’re one of the top 20 universities in the world (QS top 20) and a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place.

Details of the role

As the Postdoctoral Fellow, you will drive and contribute to research aimed at improving the design of the tax transfer system. This research project is funded by a major grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to Professors Michael Keane and Alan Woodland. The grant supports research aimed at building more sophisticated labour supply models into macroeconomic models that are used for optimal tax analysis.

The role will undertake both collaborative and self-directed research in the general areas supported by the grant, including labour supply modelling, optimal tax modelling within an overlapping generations framework and the interface between the two. The position is based at the School of Economics but will have interactions with academic members from UNSW Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR). The role will support the research team, meet project milestones, and will build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

The role will report to Professors Michael Keane and Alan Woodland and has no direct reports.

Some key skills required

• PhD in Economics or related area. Fields of interest are macroeconomics, labour, public finance, econometrics, and computational economics.
• Experience with dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models, overlapping generations (OLG) models, and/or dynamic labour supply models.
• Strong skills in computational economics, including solution methods for DSGE/OLG models and dynamic programming models. Familiarity with simulation and calibration methods.
• Strong skills in econometrics, including familiarity with method of moments and maximum likelihood estimators, as well as experience in estimating labour supply models and models of wage dynamics.
• Ability to work with large datasets, particularly panel and cross section data sets of the types widely used in micro-econometrics, and to calibrate macro models.
• Programming skills in languages such as Fortran, Python, Julia, Matlab, Gauss, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated track record of publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to communicate and interact with a diverse range of stakeholders and students.

Please refer to the position description for full details.

UNSW Benefits and Culture

People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:

• Salary packaging options, including novated leasing.
• Generous leave entitlements, including an additional 3 paid days off over end of year holiday period.
• Access to Fitness Passport, giving you and your family discounted access to hundreds of gyms, pools and fitness facilities.
• Career development opportunities, including access to leadership and professional learning programs.
• Discounts and perks across retail, travel, education and health services.
• A supportive, flexible, and inclusive culture that values wellbeing and diversity.

Find out more about staff benefits at UNSW.

Pre-Employment Checks

Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.

These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

How to Apply

Please click on Apply now to apply online. Applications should not be sent to the contact listed below. Please provide a resume and a separate document addressing the skills and experience listed in the Position Description. A copy of the Position Description can be found on JOBS@UNSW.

Applications close: Friday 27th February 2026 before 11.30pm AEST

Get in Touch

For questions regarding the recruitment process - Please contact Anabel Wason, Talent Acquisition Partner. E: a.wason@unsw.edu.au

Please apply through the application portal and not via the contact above.

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.