Postdoctoral Scholar

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) is located in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education within Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Our mission is to work on a range of issues with land grant universities and other partners in the Northeast as well as nationally in support of regional economic growth and rural development goals. The Center has a strong track record of publishing peer-reviewed articles.

The NERCRD seeks applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar position. This is a limited-term position funded for one year with good possibility of renewal subject to funding availability. The post-doc will be responsible for conducting economic and statistical analyses on a wide range of rural development topics, as determined by the Center’s emerging needs and priorities. There is a strong expectation that this research will contribute both to the science base as well as to informing U.S. rural economic development policy. Examples of topics to be studied range from policy impact assessments; the interdependence of rural and urban areas, as well as agricultural and non-agricultural industries; to the determinants and impacts of local economic well-being and health, including that of farmers and small businesses. The opportunity exists to work within Penn State’s Federal Statistical Research Data Center.

The Center offers a competitive salary along with benefits, and the opportunity to collaborate with scholars in the region, nationally, and internationally. Opportunities also exist for attending conferences to support networking activities. This position is required to work at University Park, PA.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute rigorous empirical research on regional and rural economic development topics.
• Manage and analyze large, complex datasets, including administrative records, federal statistical microdata, and novel big data sources.
• Prepare high-quality manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research findings at national and international conferences and contribute to NERCRD research reports and policy briefs.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, graduate students, and regional Extension partners.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate in Agricultural Economics, Applied Economics, Economics, Regional Science, Public Policy, or related fields by the effective date of hire.
• The successful candidate must have completed all degree requirements by the appointment date.
• Extensive training in applied econometrics, causal inference, and spatial statistics.
• Demonstrated proficiency in modern statistical and computational tools (e.g., R, Stata, Python).
• Experience working with large-scale administrative, survey, or big data sets.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, working papers, or a strong dissertation portfolio.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary research team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with, or interest in, Large Language Models (LLMs) and automated computational pipelines.
• Experience or familiarity with Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) data environments or restricted-use datasets.

Screening of applications will begin November 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for the position is December 1, 2026, with flexibility.

To ensure full consideration, applicants must submit the following materials electronically through the Penn State Careers Portal:

• Cover Letter: A 1–2 page letter describing your research background, qualifications, career goals, and specific interest/fit with the NERCRD.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailed CV including educational background, publication record, working papers, software proficiency, and research experience.
• Research Statement: A brief statement (1–2 pages) outlining your current research interests, methodological expertise, and future research plans.
• Writing Sample(s): One or two representative research papers (e.g., job market paper, dissertation chapter, or published journal article).
• Professional References: Contact information (full name, title, institution, email address, and phone number) for three professional references. (Letters of recommendation will be requested for shortlisted candidates).

System limitations allow for a total of 5 documents (5mb per document) as part of your application. Please combine materials to meet the 5-document limit.

Applicants are welcome to direct inquiries regarding the position, qualifications, research opportunities, or the application process to Dr. Zheng Tian at [email protected].

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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