Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral Associate – Data Science/Applied Econometrics

Job No: 535007

Work Type: Research Faculty |
Senior Management: Agriculture & Life Sciences |
Department: Agricultural & Applied Economics |
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia

Categories: Agriculture / Life Sciences, Research / Scientific

The Kohl Center at Virginia Tech invites applications for a non‑tenured Postdoctoral Associate specializing in Data Science/Applied Econometrics. The position is a one‑year, 12‑month, calendar‑year appointment with possible renewal based on funding and performance. The anticipated start date is May 2026.

The successful candidate will develop a strong applied research program that bridges data science/econometric methods and the social sciences to discover, create, and disseminate new knowledge. The candidate will contribute to academic and policy‑relevant publications, help secure external funding, and increase the impact of Kohl Center research by engaging stakeholders through training, workshops, webinars, and action‑oriented projects.

Opportunity for Advising and Teaching:
The Associate will participate in recruiting, advising, and mentoring graduate students (serving on graduate committees) and will assist in recruiting and training undergraduate students in our experiential learning program. Teaching opportunities for graduate or undergraduate courses may arise.

• PhD (or equivalent) in agricultural and applied economics, economics, data science, econometrics, statistics, computer science, operations research, public policy, or a closely related field, completed within four years of appointment.
• Proficiency in R, including R Shiny, and other data‑science tools such as Git.
• Research experience using R and modern data‑analytical tools.
• Explicit research experience or coursework on the boundary between data science/statistics/econometrics and social sciences in the candidate’s major field(s).
• Record of peer‑reviewed publications or advanced working papers relevant to the position.
• Excellent communication, organization, and collaboration skills with diverse teams.

• Expertise in agricultural economics, health economics, policy analysis, small business and entrepreneurship, or applied econometrics.
• Strong quantitative skills and experience with cutting‑edge techniques in data science, econometrics, and machine learning, particularly causal machine learning and optimal policy learning.
• Proficiency in additional languages such as Stata or Python.
• Research experience using Python.
• Experience with large structured and unstructured datasets (e.g., multimodal data, remote sensing data).
• Ability to engage stakeholders through outreach, extension, and engagement activities.

• Cover letter outlining research interests and relevant experience.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Three confidential letters of reference.
• Sample of academic writing.

$53,550 – $65,029 per year.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, military status, or any other basis protected by law. The university encourages participation in professional development and shared governance.

Applicants must be willing to undergo a criminal conviction check.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a priority. The position will remain open until filled.