"Postdoctoral Research Fellow"

Position Title

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Position Summary

The Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE) at Spelman College invites applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow position. The Fellow will contribute to advancing research on Black entrepreneurship and wealth building with a particular focus on the development of the State of Black Entrepreneurship Report and Dashboard. This position supports the CBE's mission to cultivate a thriving ecosystem of Black entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial thinkers, while producing rigorous research that informs policy and practice.

The Fellow will work closely with faculty, practitioners, and community partners to conduct interdisciplinary research, analyze data, and produce public-facing reports and tools that track key trends and barriers in Black entrepreneurship.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of the State of Black Entrepreneurship Report and Dashboard, including data collection, analysis, and visualization.
• Conduct original, high-impact research on Black entrepreneurship, racial wealth disparities, and economic inclusion.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and community stakeholders to design and execute a shared research agenda.
• Prepare peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and presentations for academic, practitioner, and general audiences.
• Contribute to the Center's grant writing efforts and support preparation of funding proposals.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students engaged in research on entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Represent the Center at academic conferences, public events, and in external partnerships.
• Contribute to the broader evaluation and knowledge production work of the CBE.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in entrepreneurship, economics, business, sociology, public policy, or a related field (completed by start date).
• Strong research background with demonstrated experience in quantitative data analysis, applied research, or policy evaluation.
• Experience working with large datasets related to business, finance, labor markets, or demographics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated interest in racial equity, economic development, and entrepreneurship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing dashboards or data visualizations.
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research software (e.g., R, Stata, NVivo, Python).
• Experience with community-based or interdisciplinary research.
• Track record of published academic or policy-oriented work.
• Familiarity with innovation ecosystems or entrepreneurship support services.
• Experience with effective and acceptable use of AI to conduct research.

Certifications, Licenses, Restrictions

N/A

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: sit, talk, walk, hear, use hands to handle office supplies, operate computer and other office equipment. The employee is frequently required to: reach with hands and arms, and stand. The employee is occasionally required to: climb, and lift and/or move up to 15 pounds without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus.

Full Time/Part Time:

Full-time

Work Location/Schedule

This position requires onsite work and is not eligible for remote work.

Posting Number:

SC0837P

Open Until Filled:

No

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