"Pre-doctoral Researcher - Technical Associate - (Emil Verner and David Thesmar) 2026"

Posted: 14-Jan-26

Location: Cambridge, MA

Categories: Academic/Faculty

Internal Number: 180113

We are seeking one highly skilled and motivated individual to work as full-time Technical Associate in the MIT Sloan Finance group under Professors David Thesmar and Emil Verner for a period of at least one year, ideally two, beginning in July 2026. The job will entail close collaboration in all stages of the research process on a number of new and ongoing empirical projects in the fields of financial economics and macroeconomics.

This position offers the opportunity to gain exposure to and training in a broad set of economic research topics and methodologies before pursuing a PhD in economics or finance. The chosen candidate will also gain valuable skills in analyzing large data sets and solving computational models, as well as experience with programming languages, with an emphasis on Stata and Python.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform analysis of large-scale quantitative and qualitative datasets as part of research projects.
• Use of new tools (machine learning, LLMs, OCR) to collect and process data.
• Work with bank and firm-level data using econometric tools and relate to macro-finance theories.
• Solve macro-finance models.
• Summarize and document research results and learn about different research agendas.
• Performs other related duties as required, including work performed at lower levels, when necessary.

The ideal candidate should (i) have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree majoring in Economics/Finance, or undertaken comparable Economics/Finance coursework; (ii) minimum 2 years’ specialized experience with qualitative data analysis and research methods (which may include experience gained as an undergraduate) (iii) have statistical/scientific programming experience, especially in Python, R, or Stata; (iv) be able to work independently to solve problems. The position is most beneficial for students planning to pursue a PhD or advanced Master’s program in Economics, Finance or a related field.

Required Application Materials:

1. One-page cover letter describing your relevant coursework and/or research experience, programming background, future academic plans, any relevant visa information, and when you are available to begin work.
2. CV.
3. Academic transcript (unofficial is fine).
4. Writing sample. This can be any research paper or term paper that you think best reflects your abilities.

Application review will begin January 15, 2026 and continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Short-listed applicants will be asked to complete an interview and a technical exercise to demonstrate their qualifications. Please note that visa sponsorship for this position is not available, and employment is contingent upon appropriate work authorization.

We will be accepting and reviewing applications on a rolling basis starting January 15, 2026 until the position is filled.