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

The Department of Economics and Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy seeks a highly skilled and motivated individual to work as a full-time Pre-Doctoral Associate with Professor Jonathan Colmer and Professor Jay Shimshack for a period of two years. The successful candidate will also work closely with John Voorheis, Principal Economist at the U.S. Census Bureau and support partnerships between Colmer, Shimshack, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Projects are expected to focus on deepening our understanding of how economic activity, policy, and the environment interact, and evaluating interventions that increase resilience and sustainability. The appointment will start in June 2026.

The successful candidate will:

• receive an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to and training in a broad range of research topics and methodologies before pursuing a PhD in Economics.
• gain first-hand experience conducting cutting-edge economics research in the field of environmental economics and applied microeconomics more broadly.
• develop advanced programming and data analysis skills and will have opportunities to work with confidential microdata.

Day-to-day tasks will focus on data cleaning and organization, writing code and documentation, and data analysis. Other tasks such as conducting literature reviews and writing policy briefs may be assigned according to need and interest.

The position is embedded within an established community of scholars, including other pre-docs, so that we can learn and pursue research together. The successful candidate will participate in group research meetings, receive academic advising to prepare them for a PhD career, and will have opportunities to attend research seminars, interact with other pre-docs, graduate students, faculty members, visiting experts, and external collaborators.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to meet the qualifications for Special Sworn Status or have Special Sworn Status with the U.S. Census Bureau
• A quantitative background with strong programming skills in statistical analysis software (e.g., Stata, R, SAS, Python)
• Ability to work efficiently and independently to solve problems and manage multiple tasks
• Excellent communication, time management, and organizational skills
• Interest in pursuing a PhD in Economics or a related field
• Intellectual curiosity, internal drive, and a desire to do things well can compensate for most technical qualifications

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Salary is competitive. This is a non-exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits .

This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability.

This position is for a term of two years.

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed on-site. Occasional off-site work arrangements in Charlottesville may be required, related to work with restricted data sets.

To learn more about UVA and the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA .

Application review will begin after November 3, 2025. The position will remain open until filled.

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online , by searching for requisition number R0077694. Complete an application with the following documents:

• A cover letter summarizing interest and qualifications
• A CV/resume
• University transcripts, including overall GPA and grades
• A writing sample (can be anything you have worked on for coursework or other RA work)
• A coding example (can be anything you have worked on for coursework or other RA work)
• Contact information for 3 references

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

For questions about the application process, please contact Jessica Russo, Senior Recruiter, sxv9zv@virginia.edu.

Job Profile
J2164 - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Professional 1

Career Stream and Level
Professional-P1

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment .