Empirical Research Fellow

Department: Kellogg Finance

The Kellogg Finance Department is looking for highly skilled and motivated individuals to work as full-time Empirical Research Associates for a period of at least one year. We will review applications on a rolling basis, with a target initial review on September 30, 2026. (We will also continue reviewing applications received after that date until the positions are filled.)

The position entails close collaboration on a number of finance projects with specific members of the department. Specifically, we are recruiting in the following areas (listed in alphabetical order by faculty sponsor); details are included in the attached pages for each position. Please indicate by checking boxes on the accompanying form the area(s) you are most interested in. For more information on the types of research projects you would be working on, please visit the faculty members' websites.

1. Macroeconomics and Finance. Faculty sponsor: Sage Belz.
2. Empirical Corporate and Business History. Faculty sponsor: Carola Frydman.
3. Finance and Development (2 positions). Faculty sponsors: Sean Higgins, Dean Karlan, Jacopo Ponticelli.
4. Payments and Finance. Faculty sponsors: Sean Higgins and Lulu Wang.
5. Labor and Finance; Data, Payments, and Competition in Financial Intermediation. Faculty sponsors: Maddalena Ronchi, Lulu Wang.
6. Empirical Corporate/Household Finance, Innovation, Labor Economics, and Financial Intermediation. Faculty sponsors: David Matsa, Gregor Matvos.
7. Macro-Finance, Technology, and Labor. Faculty sponsors: Dmitris Papanikolaou, Bryan Seegmiller.
8. Empirical Research Generalist (2 positions). Faculty sponsor: Varies by project.

Research duties vary, but may include:

• Performing statistical analyses on large databases utilizing R, Python, Stata, MATLAB, or other programming languages.
• Scraping data from websites and non-traditional data sources.
• Utilizing OCR tools, data parsing, AI, and text analysis to create novel datasets (e.g., based on historical records).
• Designing and running experiments.
• Implementing Python-based machine learning and natural language processing tools to create economic measures from textual data
• Economic modeling (including solving models by hand or programming dynamic models)
• Conducting literature reviews.
• Writing up results for presentations and publications.
• Actively participating in project meetings and discussions with existing research teams.

Previous holders of this position have participated in graduate courses at Northwestern during their time as research fellows (including macroeconomics, microeconomics, asset pricing, and real analysis) and gone on to top Ph.D. programs in economics and finance including Chicago, Princeton, Kellogg, MIT, NYU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Yale.

The ideal candidate will have a strong quantitative background and programming skills, and the ability to work independently. Prior background in economics or finance is useful but not necessary; we welcome candidates with strong technical backgrounds who are looking for more exposure in these fields. This opportunity is ideal for candidates looking to develop their empirical and theoretical skills in preparation for pursuing a graduate program in economics or finance.

Please attach the following to your application:

1. The form indicating which position(s) you are interested in applying to.

2. A cover letter briefly describing your career or academic goals, your experience as research assistant or other experience with economic research (e.g., senior thesis), and a description of your programming background;

3. A current CV;

4. Complete undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial is fine).

The starting date is negotiable, but we are targeting a start date of July 1, 2027. Salary Compensation is $25.55 per hour, and we provide standard benefits such as health insurance. Note for international applicants: Kellogg will provide the research fellow with the necessary J-1 Research Scholar visa, subject to USCIS rules and regulations.

Please read ALL instructions and make preparations before proceeding to the application page:

• Applications will only be accepted via online submission (see link below).
• Please prepare all documents in advance as Adobe PDF files, and please be sure all information is entered correctly and accurately (especially names and email addresses), as there will be no opportunity for online revision after your application has been submitted.
• Please also prepare a list of names and email addresses for your external academic references; your references will be contacted directly by the online system and invited to upload their letters on your behalf.
• All required fields in the application form are marked with an asterisk and must be filled before clicking the "Submit" button.
• Be aware that incomplete applications cannot be saved.

Applications accepted here: Apply for Job

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.