"Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist"

Job Details

Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist

Job Profile Title

Research Specialist A

Job Description Summary

The Behavior Change for Good (BCFG) Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth, is conducting large-scale field experiments designed to promote behavior change across multiple domains. Our world-class team of scientific experts test and improve behavior change programs by incorporating the latest insights from their research into massive random-assignment experiments. We have formed partnerships with some of the world's largest organizations to reach millions of their students and customers.

The Predoctoral Researcher will work closely with Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth and the BCFG team on the development and evaluation of behavior change interventions across a wide variety of settings. The Predoctoral Researcher will manage and coordinate significant multi-site research projects. This position entails developing and implementing research designs, handling data collection and management, conducting data analysis, and preparing research reports. This is a 2-year position that is contingent on continued funding.

Recent papers that BCFG Predoctoral Researchers have contributed to include:

• Duckworth, et al. (2025). A national megastudy shows that email nudges to elementary school teachers boost student math achievement, particularly when personalized. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Milkman, et al. (2024). Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not. Nature.
• Milkman, et al. (2022). A citywide experiment testing the impact of geographically targeted, high-pay-off vaccine lotteries. Nature Human Behavior.

Job Description

The Predoctoral Researcher will work closely with Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth and the BCFG team on the development and evaluation of behavior change interventions across a wide variety of settings. The Predoctoral Researcher will manage and coordinate significant multi-site research projects. This position entails developing and implementing research designs, handling data collection and management, conducting data analysis, and preparing research reports. This is a 2-year position that is contingent on continued funding.

Recent papers that BCFG Predoctoral Researchers have contributed to include:

• Duckworth, et al. (2025). A national megastudy shows that email nudges to elementary school teachers boost student math achievement, particularly when personalized. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Milkman, et al. (2024). Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not. Nature.
• Milkman, et al. (2022). A citywide experiment testing the impact of geographically targeted, high-pay-off vaccine lotteries. Nature Human Behavior.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop research designs, data collection methods, and strategies for data management. Design, create, and revise research instruments as necessary to ensure quality data that aligns with research objectives. Contribute to the development of research protocols that clearly describe research objectives and procedures necessary to test hypotheses. Ensure that projects are executed successfully and completed within time frames to meet research objectives.
• Lead multiple data collection efforts by collaborating with several outside agencies and institutions. Analyze data using sophisticated econometric techniques and statistical software including STATA and R using UNIX computer servers.
• Prepare funding proposals, technical reports, and manuscripts for publication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 1-2 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. A background in Economics, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, or Behavioral Science is preferred. The ideal candidate will have a strong attention to detail, taken classes on econometrics and be proficient in either STATA or R, and comfortable working on UNIX servers. The anticipated start date for this position is June 2026.
• Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$44,500.00 - $50,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.