"Research Specialist, The Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics"

Job Description Summary

The Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics invites applicants for the position of Research Specialist. We are looking for a motivated Research Specialist to join our team to help with cutting-edge behavioral experiments and support Center activities.

What you'll do:

• Assist with administrative tasks and coordinate events
• Develop and conduct online experiments
• Handle data cleaning and perform statistical analysis

This is a great opportunity to:

• Gain hands-on research experience
• Develop valuable skills in project management and research work
• Prepare for future applications to graduate school or a research career

Job Description

The Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics (Penn CSNBD), led by Dr. Cristina Bicchieri, is a major research center at the University of Pennsylvania, which aims to support positive behaviors on a global scale, across both informal and organizational settings. Penn CSNBD has undertaken a range of projects with different partner organizations around the world by leveraging our expertise in measuring behavior, analyzing behavioral data, and identifying systematic behavioral drivers. Our research interests here are broad and are constantly evolving. Interested applicants should be prepared for (and look forward to) a rich and dynamic research experience.

Job Responsibilities:

Responsibilities for a new research specialist would include (but are not limited to) exploring assisting with event preparation, coordinating and managing media and engagement for the Center, overseeing experiments (both online and in person), data coding and analysis, manuscript preparation, and preparing scientific presentations.

This position is technically focused. Successful candidates will be familiar with quantitative research methodologies and possess programming skills. As research programming is a significant part of this role, applicants should be familiar with programming languages such as Python or R and be willing learners of new software engineering skills. It is also beneficial to have familiarity with behavioral science and social science more generally.

Qualifications

• B.S. or B.A. in behavioral and experimental economics (behavioral science, experimental psychology) or a related field, and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and research experience (Required)
• Previous research experience in behavioral and experimental economics (behavioral science and/or experimental psychology) (Required)
• Strong quantitative skills (especially with statistics, statistical software, and collecting data) (Required)
• Previous programming experience with R and Python and specific experience with Qualtrics, Prolific, jsPsych or Psychopy are desirable. (Required)
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail (Preferred)
• Flexible and independent thinking and the ability to self-motivate (Preferred) Excellent writing skills (Preferred)
• Familiarity with social science research with human subjects (Preferred)
• Social media and web design experience (Preferred)

*For consideration, please submit a cover letter as well as a resume in the CV section of your application. You can upload multiple documents to the "Resume/CV" section.

This is a one-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal based on available funding.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range
$44,500.00 - $47,000.00 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.