The Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, a leading European research department, representing a wide range of research interests in all areas of economics, invites applicants for the position of a pre-doctoral research fellow in Economics.

The predoctoral fellow receives an appointment of one to two years and will work closely with Prof. Dina Pomeranz and together with Paul Carrillo (GWU), Dave Donaldson (MIT), Ronak Jain (University of Zurich), Constantine Manda (UC Irvine), Marina Ngoma (World Bank), Monica Singhal (UC Davis), Juan Carlos Suárez-Serrato (Stanford University), Gabriel Tourek (University of Pittsburgh), and Jonathan Weigel (UC Berkeley). The research assistant will work on several projects in development economics, ranging from taxation to firm development and broader microeconomic development studies. These projects draw on different datasets to shed light on i) tax compliance in low- and middle-income countries, ii) the impact of public procurement on firm development, and iii) measures to improve welfare for low-income domestic workers. The projects involve the analysis of exciting, large-scale network datasets including the transactions between all formal firms in the entire country of Ecuador and tax data on intra-group payments carried out by multinational firms operating in Chile, as well as the design and rollout of randomized field experiments (RCTs) in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in carrying out and developing cutting-edge empirical research.

We expect to involve the research fellow in all stages of research – brainstorming, literature reviews, project management, data analysis in STATA, and writing. The research fellow will work in teams with professors and a vibrant team of other research assistants and will receive hands-on mentoring throughout.

The candidate should have a master's or bachelor's degree with good grades in economics or another quantitative social science field. Candidates need strong knowledge of STATA. Knowledge of other statistical programs such as R or Python is welcome but not required.

The position is ideal for someone who either possesses or is interested in acquiring the ability to communicate research results effectively to different audiences in a clear and accurate manner. We are looking for a person who enjoys independent problem-solving and thrives on taking high level directional advice and then running with this advice as far as possible. The position requires strong organizational and time management skills, the ability to work towards multiple deadlines and interact with different professors and stakeholders. The ideal candidate has a desire to understand the social world around them and possesses a thirst for answering research questions about international development, taxation, and/or firm behavior.

Very good oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of German is not required.

What we offer
This position offers a range of on-the-job learning opportunities and mentoring from faculty supervisor in an inspiring and interdisciplinary academic environment. The predoctoral fellow will join a dynamic and inter-disciplinary team of international researchers.

The predoctoral position is a full-time commitment, combines research work with learning activities and is ideal for a recent graduate who is interested in going on to do a PhD in economics or a related field, or in exploring whether a PhD would be a good fit for them.

Place of work
The position is based in Switzerland, Zurich

Start of employment
Employment start date: earliest 01.10.2025, latest 01.01.2026.
Length of commitment: Two years.
The end of this position is in summer/fall 2027.

Information on your application

Further information
Please submit your application by 15.08.2025 (including motivation letter, CV, academic transcripts, and at least two letters of references).

Complete applications should be submitted through the button below (platform J-Pal).