Postdoctoral Research Associate at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX

Job description

Job Title Postdoctoral Research Associate Agency Texas A&M University Department Finance Proposed Minimum Salary $5,981.25 monthly Job Location College Station, Texas Job Type Staff Job Description What We Want We are looking for an ambitious researcher who is passionate about developing a successful academic career and contributing to cutting-edge research in finance and economics. The ideal candidate is eager to collaborate on projects examining how federal investments in research and development influence firm innovation, performance, and economic outcomes. They possess strong analytical and communication skills, a commitment to rigorous research standards, and the ability to translate complex findings into high-quality scholarly work. This position offers an exceptional opportunity for a researcher seeking to build a strong publication pipeline, collaborate with leading scholars, and enhance their competitiveness for future faculty and research appointments. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work with Dr. Andrew Fieldhouse and Dr. Adam Kolasinski (Adam C. Sinn '00 Department of Finance, Texas A&M University) using restricted-use U.S. Census Bureau firm microdata under approved Census Project TX03195. What You Need to Know Salary: $5981.25/monthly. Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume will assist us in our review of your application materials. These can be uploaded on the application under CV/Resume. Other Requirements and Factors: The Postdoctoral Research Associate is a 15-month appointment on a funded research project measuring the firm-level effects of federal contract R&D. May have to work on weekends and/or after normal hours. Funded conference travel is budgeted for presenting the project's papers; may travel as needed. This position requires Special Sworn Status (SSS) with the U.S. Census Bureau for work in the Texas Federal Statistical Research Data Center (TXRDC) on the Texas A&M University campus. Candidates who already hold SSS are strongly preferred. All SSS applicants, regardless of citizenship, must have lived in the United States or its territories for 36 of the past 60 months and must pass a federal background investigation. Candidates without SSS will begin the application process as early as possible, potentially before their start date and from their home institution; clearance typically takes about three months, and longer for foreign nationals. Work during that period (code development, literature review, and drafting papers in shared Overleaf projects) does not require TXRDC access and may be performed remotely, subject to university approval, allowing flexibility in timing the move to College Station. SSS holders take a lifetime oath to protect the confidentiality of Census Bureau data, including commingled Federal Tax Information; unauthorized disclosure is punishable under Title 13 and Title 26 of the U.S. Code by fines of up to $250,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. Qualifications Required Education and Experience: PhD in economics or finance, completed or expected to be completed by the start date. No prior experience required. Preferred Qualifications: Special Sworn Status with the U.S. Census Bureau. Prior experience with restricted-use Census Bureau or Internal Revenue Service data. Prior experience with firm-level microdata such as BRDIS, SIRD, RADS, or Compustat. Research interests in innovation, corporate finance, public economics, or macroeconomics. A record of research output, or clear evidence of potential, at the level expected for placement in a research-active department. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong applied micro econometrics, particularly panel instrumental variables and two-stage least squares designs. Comfort building and working with large administrative and firm-level datasets. Advanced coding skills in Stata or a comparable statistical package such as SAS, R, or Python. Strong writing skills and the ability to draft publication-quali