Principal Researcher

Department

Booth Roman Family Center for Decision Research

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second‑oldest business school in the United States, renowned for its rigorous, discipline‑based approach that transforms students into confident business leaders. Booth provides state‑of‑the‑art facilities across four campuses and has produced leaders and Nobel laureates who shape global business practices.

This Principal Researcher position supports a behavioral scientist in generating significant research contributions to the study of social cognition, perspective taking, and intuitive human judgment. The role involves independent and collaborative experimental work in the Roman Family Center for Decision Research (RF‑CDR), including projects in companies, public spaces, and museums. The Principal Researcher also serves as a Teaching Assistant for the MBA course "Designing a Good Life," which focuses on behavioral ethics and wellbeing.

The position is anticipated to last two years and includes funding for collaborative and independent projects, as well as access to RF‑CDR resources and laboratory facilities.

• Develop original research questions independently and in collaboration with faculty; implement studies to investigate those questions.
• Participate in study design, data acquisition and analysis, manuscript development, and presentation/publication of results.
• Serve as Teaching Assistant for two sections each year of a behavioral ethics course for MBAs.
• Use subject matter knowledge and best practices to perform lab and research duties; work independently to assist with project design.
• Guide data collection, evaluation, and analysis; design and manage databases; write reports, articles, and manuscripts.
• Perform other related work as needed.

• College or university degree in a related field.

• 5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

None required.

• Ph.D., earned or expected by the start date, in psychology, economics, or another behavioral science discipline.

• Familiarity with methods of experimentation.
• Experience conducting field, computer, web‑based, and interpersonal interaction‑based experiments.

• Ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, students, faculty, and corporate contacts across multiple communication channels.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as strong organizational abilities.

• Position is office‑based.

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter describing research interests, connections to CDR faculty, and qualifications (required)
• Two Letters of Recommendation (required)

Pay: $75,000.00. This range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation for this role at the time of posting. The position is exempt under FLSA and requires a 37.5‑hour workweek. Benefits are available to eligible employees and include health, retirement, and paid time off. Additional information can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check.

For additional information, please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.