Postdoctoral Scholar - Institute for Business & Social Impact - Haas School of Business

Position overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar Employee

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay at appointment. See the following table for the current postdoctoral scholar salary scales: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-oct-2025-scales/t23.pdf The current full-time salary range for post doc positions is $69,073 - $82,836. A reasonable estimate for this postdoctoral scholar position is $69,073 to $77,030. Final salary will be commensurate with level of experience.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: August 21, 2026

Position duration: This position is funded for two years with possible renewal.

Application Window

Open date: February 2, 2026

Most recent review date: Monday, Feb 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Final date: Friday, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Position description

The Institute for Business and Social Impact at UC Berkeley seeks to hire a postdoctoral scholar who applies pioneering, rigorous empirical analysis to policy-relevant questions in applied economics, development, mental health, labor, or closely related fields.

We are especially interested in candidates whose work combines empirical causal inference, administrative or large-scale data, and topics related to development, labor markets, mental health (broadly defined, e.g., measurement, interventions, behavioral mechanisms, digital or light-touch mental health tools), or behavioral economics. We welcome applicants with strong foundations in empirical methods in economics and/or experience designing, implementing, or overseeing large-scale randomized controlled trials.

The ideal postdoctoral scholar will have demonstrated excellence in using modern empirical methods—including econometrics, experimental and quasi-experimental techniques, and/or machine learning approaches for prediction and causal inference—to study policy-relevant questions in development, labor, mental health, or related fields. We seek a postdoctoral scholar who bridges applied microeconomics with behavioral and mental-health insights, using empirical and machine-learning tools to study social and economic policy.

Duties of Position:

The position offers direct engagement in new and exciting research opportunities and personal mentorship from faculty and researchers on the team. The postdoctoral scholar will gain an expanded network of collaborators and become a member of the UC Berkeley research community by actively participating in seminar series and internal workshops to present and receive feedback on their work.

The postdoctoral scholar will be expected to join and develop a research agenda in collaboration with their supervisor and Faculty Director, Paul Gertler, along with Laura Chioda, IBSI's Chief Data Scientist, and IBSI's network of researchers.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree program at the time of application.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

• Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree) by the start date.
• No more than three years of post-degree research experience.

Preferred qualifications

Ph.D. holders in economics and related fields specializing in applied microeconomics, development, mental health, or behavioral economics are invited to apply.

We particularly encourage applications from postdoctoral scholars whose work integrates theory-driven mechanisms with rigorous empirical analysis, including field experiments (RCTs) or the use of large-scale administrative datasets. Experience developing research projects in collaboration with non-academic stakeholders—such as NGOs, governments, or industry partners—is highly valued.

Preferred Technical & Professional Skills

• Advanced Programming: Proficiency in R, Stata, and/or Python.
• Computational Expertise: Familiarity with machine-learning methods for prediction and causal inference, including experience with unstructured data.
• Quantitative Foundation: Strong skills in econometrics and statistics, backed by advanced doctoral coursework.
• Data Management: Excellent organizational capabilities and experience managing complex datasets.
• Communication & Collaboration: Fluency in English with the ability to communicate research findings clearly and work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Professionalism: High degree of self-motivation, flexibility, and the ability to manage multiple workstreams efficiently.