Pre-Doctoral Associate, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia invites applications for multiple full-time Pre-Doctoral Associate positions. The successful candidate will work on projects related to the economics of higher education and the economics of health and social insurance. The position is ideal for recent graduates who want to gain hands-on pre-doctoral experience conducting rigorous research before pursuing a doctoral program in economics, public policy, or related fields. The expected start date for this position is Summer 2025 and is intended for a period of two years.

The successful candidate will work closely with a group of one to three Batten faculty members, either on higher education topics (with Professors Ben Castleman and Andrew Simon) or on health policy and social insurance topics (with Professors Tim Layton, Sebastian Tello Trillo, and/or Derek Wu). The successful candidate will have the opportunity to gain exposure to and training in many parts of the research process, including conducting literature reviews, data cleaning and preparation, data analysis, and data visualization. Most programming work will be done in Stata. Candidates with demonstrated programming experience in other languages and a willingness to learn Stata are encouraged to apply.

The Pre-Doctoral Associate will also engage as part of a broader cohort of pre-doctoral research specialists at the Batten School and the University of Virginia.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in economics, public policy, statistics, computer science, or related field
• Strong performance in economics, econometrics, and/or statistics coursework at the undergraduate level
• Strong coding skills in Stata or a related program
• Experience conducting rigorous quantitative research, either through coursework, thesis writing, or working an undergraduate/professional research assistantship
• The ability to take initiative, work independently, and effectively manage one's own time
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work across multiple projects at the same time
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Long-term interest in pursuing analytic work in economics and public policy

The following qualifications are desirable but not required:

• A master's degree in economics, public policy, data science, statistics, computer science, or related field
• Prior work experience doing quantitative research in settings like government, think tanks, private sector, litigation consulting, etc.
• Experience with Python, R, and Git is beneficial but not required
• An entrepreneurial mindset and creative problem-solving ability

To Apply:

Please apply through the UVA job board at https://jobs.virginia.edu/us/en and search for R0067561. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• A cover letter describing academic and research goals, as well as technical and research experience
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• Contact information for 3 references

Upload all materials into the resume submission field; multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

For additional information about the position or responsibilities for the economics of higher education position, contact Dr. Ben Castleman (castleman@virginia.edu); for the economics of health/social insurance position, contact Dr. Tim Layton (timothyjlayton@virginia.edu).

The position will remain open until filled. Salary is competitive. This is a non-exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits. This position is a restricted position intended for two years and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance. This position is located in Charlottesville, VA.The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. For questions about the application process, please contact Jessica Russo, Senior Academic Recruiter, at sxv9zv@virginia.edu.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.