Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Assocate

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Agricultural Economics

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Click here to learn more about joining AgriLife!

Position Information

Job Summary:

To work with Dr. Pourya Valizadeh on U.S. domestic food policy research under general supervision. Projects include, but are not limited to, evaluating SNAP purchase restrictions and studying how various food policies affect household purchases of ultra-processed foods. The work uses large transaction-level food purchase data and state-of-the-art machine learning and causal inference methods.

Responsibilities:

• Evaluate SNAP purchase restrictions and other food and nutrition assistance policies.

• Study how various food policies affect household purchases of ultra-processed foods.

• Clean and analyze transaction-level purchase data (e.g., Circana, NielsenIQ) using econometric and machine learning methods.

• Work with restricted data in Administrative Data Research Facilities (ADRFs).

• Write journal articles; present findings at conferences and meetings.

• Collaborate with the research team and support grant reports and proposals.

• Other research duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of Stata.

• Strong written and oral communication skills.

• Ability to work well in a team and independently.

Required Education and Experience:

• Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, completed by the start date.
• In order to be considered for this position prior to your doctoral degree being conferred, please attach a letter from your school's official Graduate Office, Registrar's Office or PhD Committee Chair certifying that all requirements for the doctoral degree have been met and stating the degree conferral date.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Research experience on SNAP or other food and nutrition programs.

• Experience with program evaluation methods (e.g., difference-in-differences, event studies).
• Experience analyzing transaction-level or scanner purchase data (e.g., Circana, NielsenIQ).

• Experience working with restricted data in an ADRF or similar secure data environment.

• Strong programming skills in Python and experience applying machine learning methods.

What You Need to Know

Salary: $63,000-$66,000, commensurate with experience.

Position Funding:

This is a 1-year position funded through grants or contracts. Employment is contingent upon the continued availability of funding and satisfactory job performance.

Flexible Work Arrangements:

This position requires on-site presence and is not eligible for remote work. Flexible work schedules may be available depending on the nature of the role.

Sponsorship:
This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.

Important Notice Regarding H1-B Sponsorship:

Your employment at Texas A&M AgriLife may require nonimmigrant sponsorship. A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Texas A&M AgriLife will NOT pay this fee. If the fee is imposed on your petition, this offer of employment will be revoked. If actions taken during your employment result in the imposition of this fee, your employment will be terminated. To the extent that this statement conflicts with any applicable System or member Policy, Regulation, or Rule, this statement will control. We recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense regarding potential implications.

In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbott issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if you will now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status this moratorium may affect our ability to employ you should you be selected as the final candidate.

Benefits and Leave:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance (AgriLife contributes to premiums)
• 12–15 annual paid holidays
• Up to 8 hours/month sick leave and at least 8 hours/month vacation
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative
• Access to ongoing professional development and training through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internally developed programs.

How to Apply

Applications must include all job application data or a complete resume. Incomplete applications may be rejected. Applicants are encouraged to upload a resume or use LinkedIn to prepopulate application fields. 

Required Documents to Submit

• CV / Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample
• List of References with contact information
• Certifications / Additional Documentation (if applicable)

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.