Junior​/Assistant Specialist - Center Effective Global Action

Position Title

Development Economics Predoc

Salary: $55,000–$70,700 per year (base salary range). Offscale salaries may be offered to remain competitive. Percent time: 100%. Anticipated start:
July 2026. Position duration: 1 year; renewal possible pending funding.

Open date:
January 6 2026. Next review date:
Wednesday, January 21 2026, 11:59 pm (Pacific Time). Final application date:
Saturday, February 7 2026, 11:59 pm (Pacific Time). Applications received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is a hub for research, training and innovation headquartered at UC Berkeley. CEGA generates insights that decision makers use to improve policies, programs and people’s lives. We collaborate with nearly 200 faculty, 80 scholars from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—primarily from East Africa—and hundreds of graduate students from diverse disciplines to produce rigorous evidence on expanding education, health and economic opportunities for people living in poverty.

The Junior/Assistant Specialist will support research partnership development by cultivating strong relationships with organizations providing research support and data collection services. The role may involve travel to field sites. Key responsibilities include providing research assistance to projects and papers using empirical approaches; contributing to technical grant proposals and progress reports for current funding sources; and performing other administrative tasks related to the projects, CEGA, and the Principal Investigator(s) (PI).

The Specialist may also support additional research and policy efforts relevant to the goals of the PIs and CEGA.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application):
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent international degree; or currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start): Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent international degree.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent international degree in Economics, Public Policy, Political Science, Business, or a related discipline.
• Strong interest in development economics, causal inference in applied microeconometrics, research design, program evaluation, cost‑effectiveness analysis, and/or big data/remote sensing.
• 1–2 years experience conducting empirical research, including data collection and cleaning.

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae—most recently updated.
• Cover Letter.
• Research Statement—discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans. Optional.

Reference requirements

• 3–5 references (contact information only).

Help contact: sabrinaspatny

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1‑d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world.

Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

UC Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California’s Affidative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to…