Postdoctoral Associate - Yale Inclusion Economics

Inclusion Economics at Yale University, led by Professor Rohini Pande, Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics and Director of the Yale Economic Growth Center and Yale Inclusion Economics, seeks an exceptional candidate as Postdoctoral Associate for the 2025-2026 academic year. This opportunity is for a one-year, full-time residential postdoctoral research fellowship, with possibility for renewal for one additional year. 

The Role:

This Yale Inclusion Economics (YIE) Postdoctoral Associate position will provide an excellent opportunity for an early career economist or political scientist to develop top-tier research with mentorship by Professor Rohini Pande and additional Principal Investigators at top economics programs. Ideal candidates will have experience and a track record developing research in one of two core research areas, Gender and Environment/Climate Change, along with solid analytical and team skills. The selected candidate(s) will gain first-hand experience conducting development economics research while contributing to an agreed upon YIE project portfolio and building their own research portfolio.

The Postdoctoral Associate will support research within the YIE portfolio that matches the candidate’s interest, experience, and skills. Responsibilities span the entire research pipeline and include supporting research design and implementation; overseeing data collection and analysis; interacting with internal (postgraduate fellows, research staff based in our affiliated country offices) and external stakeholders (including policymakers, donors, and other academics); supporting fundraising efforts; cleaning, processing and analyzing data; and writing papers, reports, briefs, and so on. This position requires a self-starting candidate with proven expertise in applied development economics research and interest in aligned research. The salary for this position is commensurate with experience and complies with the Yale Office of Postdoctoral Affairs compensation policy and includes a benefits package.

Who We Are:                                                                                      

Inclusion Economics at Yale University is a policy-engaged research initiative based out of the Economic Growth Center and the MacMillan Center, collaborating with Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR and Inclusion Economics Nepal at Governance Lab – as well as colleagues at other leading universities. We draw upon economics, political science, and related fields to conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Our core research focuses on gender as it relates to labor economics and broader economic empowerment, political economy and governance, and environmental economics. We also aim to build a culture of evidence and increase data literacy in the public sector, strengthening leaders’ ability to identify and implement evidence-informed policies. Throughout the research life cycle, we engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure we address questions of immediate relevance, and we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the research team, oversee and guide country-based teams implementing technical aspects of assigned research studies, including intervention implementation, and contributing to field-based scoping, survey design, survey testing, data quality monitoring, and more.
• Conduct econometric analysis under the direction of senior researchers.
• Manage relationships with collaborating institutions, including data collection firms, policy counterparts and potential donors.
• Compile, assess and synthesize research into relevant outputs with guidance and oversight of Yale-affiliated research faculty.
• Provide appropriate inputs and support for administrative requirements of the project portfolio, upon request, particularly related to grant proposals, reports, and related study deliverables. 
• Contribute to overall management and strategic vision by identifying new research projects and partners and applying for additional sources of funding in partnership with research team.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in economics, public policy, political science, statistics, econometrics or related field by the start of the appointment
• Advanced coursework in empirical methods, including econometrics and economics, with strong demonstrated academic performance 
• Solid understanding of research design and experience with data collection and field work and excellent attention to detail
• Proven analytical skills and proficiency in Stata and/or R; experience in Python a plus
• Capacity to maintain an organized and structured work style in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to adapt to quickly to changing environments
• Strong interpersonal skills, and willingness to interact with a wide range of individuals ranging from Research Associates to academics, donors, research institutions, etc.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Willingness to travel and spend significant time at research project sites, as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to independently drive research projects and produce independent, high-quality original empirical research in mutually agreed upon areas
• Field research management experience in international development or related field
• Proven success in fundraising for relevant research area
• Demonstrated interest in economics, climate change/environmental economics, and policy in South Asia and/or Sub-Saharan Africa