"Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist"

Job Description Summary

The successful candidate will support research by Professors Arthur van Benthem, Susanna Berkouwer, and Shing-Yi Wang. Topics include energy and the environment and/or development economics. There are several open positions.

Examples of recent projects include:

• van Benthem: efficiency losses from imperfect environmental policies, carbon offsets and carbon markets, and land protection and biodiversity, vehicle fuel efficiency standards.
• Berkouwer: energy efficiency adoption, credit constraints and behavioral biases, energy infrastructure construction, carbon offsets and carbon markets, clean cookstove adoption.
• Wang: returns to temporary migration, incentives to improve worker effort, and the labor supply consequences of having a Child in China.

You will join Wharton's Department of Business Economics and Public Policy (BEPP) and become part of a cohort of predoctoral research fellows. BEPP offers many opportunities for personal and professional development through learning new technical skills, attending seminars, and taking courses. In some instances, predoc RAs have become co-authors of academic papers.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Job responsibilities include performing a variety of statistical and econometric analyses, cleaning and analyzing data, writing research reports, conducting background research and literature reviews, identifying and obtaining secondary data, coding survey questionnaires, and managing field activities. Independent thinking, a thorough understanding of economics or related disciplines, an ability to manage work flows on multiple projects, and self-motivation are highly valued in performing these functions.

This is a challenging opportunity for an early-career professional who is passionate about social science research and has a strong desire to expand and deepen skills in economic research and quantitative data analysis. You will work closely with one or more of the professors, who will provide supervision on research and offer mentorship on academic development more broadly. You will also be encouraged to be an active part of the research community, within the BEPP department and in relevant Wharton research centers. We anticipate that the successful candidate would work in this position for 2 years, before going on to graduate programs or careers in Economics, Public Policy, or another quantitative social science.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative discipline;
• Previous experience as a research analyst or conducting independent research using statistical software such as STATA or R is preferred;
• Ability to process and analyze large data sets and write reports;
• Self-directed, intrinsically motivated, capacity to manage work independently and organize workflows across multiple projects.

SALARY & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, limited-term position typically intended for recent graduates who are seeking predoctoral research experience. The position is designed for a maximum duration of two years and cannot be extended beyond the initial term. The start date for this position is July 1, 2026. Annual salary is in the range of $57,000-61,000 plus benefits. For more information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: https://hr.wharton.upenn.edu/benefits-comp/. Remote work may be possible for a temporary period.

HOW TO APPLY

For the application to be considered complete, please submit a brief cover letter, explaining your interest in the position, a cv including three references, and all your academic transcripts. We will review applications on a rolling basis. In your cover letter please indicate which professors you are particularly interested in working with.

We will also consider applicants who are not yet authorized to work in the United States.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School