Y-RISE: Post-Graduate Associate

Professor Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, faculty director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) is seeking a full-time Post-Graduate Associate (PGA). The position is for one year with possibility of one year renewal conditional on availability of funding as well as satisfactory performance. We have a strong preference for applicants that plan to stay for two years. PGA’s will work from the Y-RISE office and participate in the Yale Economics Department’s pre-doctoral Tobin program. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the preferred start date is 1 June 2023.

The appointment will consist of collaboration on a number of new and ongoing projects related to the Y-RISE research agenda on the effects of large-scale development interventions. The focus of this research may include assessing the general-equilibrium effects of interventions, the effects of programs on political outcomes, the external validity of initial estimates of program effects in different locations and years, and the implementation challenges that arise when programs scale. Mobarak’s work on seasonal migration is an example of the type of research that fits within this agenda.

Primary responsibilities include planning study design, cleaning and analyzing large datasets, helping to write papers and proposals, generating figures and tables, and supporting quality assurance of on-going fieldwork.

The ideal candidate will: (i) be detail-oriented with programming experience in statistical software such as Stata, R, Matlab, or Python; (ii) have a strong quantitative background; (iii) be able to work independently to solve problems; and (iv) have a long-term interest in pursuing research in economics. Familiarity with economics and randomized controlled trials is preferred – but we also welcome applicants with strong technical backgrounds who wish to increase their exposure to economics and related fields.

The Training, Mentorship and Education that the candidate will have access to:

Training: The candidate will receive training on skills including but not limited to technical research skills, including the ability to conduct statistical analysis on economic and experimental data; designing and managing field experiments; literature on many key topics in economic development, especially behavior change, the design and evaluation of large-scale programs; and soft skills necessary for academic research, such as the ability to collaborate, communicate, self-motivate, and manage multiple projects effectively.

Mentoring: The candidate will receive mentoring from Professor Mushfiq Mobarak, through group and 1:1 meetings. He will help facilitate academic relationships with other faculty, postdoctoral associates, and other future graduate students in their field as well. Finally, the candidate will also have access to mentorship through the Tobin Center for Economic Policy

Education: The candidate will have access to the resources provided as part of the Tobin Pre-doc Program including taking for credit or auditing one course per semester, participating in a weekly professional development seminar, and attending department research seminars.

The position is located at Yale University. Salary is competitive and will depend on the applicant’s skill set.

TO APPLY: All information from the applicant should be submitted electronically via Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/115073.

Complete applications must include:

1. 1. A cover letter describing
   • Your interest in the position
   • Your familiarity with statistical software and programming languages (e.g. Stata, R Matlab, Python, etc.)
   • Your prior experience as a research assistant and/or with independent research projects.
   • Names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of 2-3 references
2. A CV
3. Transcripts of past and current programs (unofficial is fine)
4.  A writing sample (any length is fine) and coding sample
5. Two recommendation letters uploaded into Interfolio

Shortlisted applicants may be asked to complete a set of technical exercises. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants.