Research Scientist

Job Posting Title:

Research Scientist

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Hiring Department:

IC2 Institute

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until August 31, 2025, with option to extend based on performance and funding.

The Bureau of Business Research (BBR), a unit of the IC² Institute, at The University of Texas at Austin, has a translational research focus at the intersection of behavioral and experimental economics, operations research and decision science, and quantitative social science supported by qualitative exploration and community participatory methods.  The BBR has had recent collaborations with the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, the Moody School of Communications, Dell Med, the Construction Industry Institute (CII), and the Cockrell School of Engineering (ORIE and I-Corps), just to name a few.  Funding sources have included NSF, DOD, DOJ, UT System, the State of Texas, the City of Austin, and philanthropic foundations.  This position is supervised by Dr. Matt Kammer-Kerwick, BBR Director.  The initial assignment is for the remainder of the 24/25 Academic Year, renewable for additional one-year periods based on performance and funding. This position will include a full-time benefits package.  This position is expected to continue.

Purpose

To Conduct research at Bureau of Business Research (BBR), a unit of the IC² Institute, at The University of Texas at Austin concerned with understanding the well-being economy, broadly, and health equity, specifically.  

Responsibilities

• Perform research on various topics related to the well-being economy, population health, health equity with a focus on responsible AI and decision science methods in those areas.

• Obtain research grants to support the research described above

• Write and publish in scholarly journals

• Present research progress and finding at meetings and conferences.

• Train and mentor undergraduate research assistants or graduate research assistants.

• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary research team

Required Qualifications

PhD in in operations research, economics, data science, engineering, psychology, sociology, anthropology, communications, or other social science with emphasis on quantitative methods and one that includes an interdisciplinary approach.  Must have at least 3 years postdoctoral research experience.  Other requirements include:

• Experience publishing research findings through peer review in academic journals

• Experience writing grant proposals

• Experience managing budgets and schedules

• Experience with large-scale survey data management and analysis.

• Demonstrated expertise with quantitative data gathering and analysis.  Areas of interest include:

  • regression analysis

  • structural equation modeling

  • longitudinal analysis

  • geospatial data analysis

  • network analysis

• Experience programming in R for data analysis

• Experience programming in Python, Java, C++, SQL, or other language relevant to data analysis

• Experience with agent-based modeling or other simulation methods

• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.

• Experience managing multiple projects and the ability to handle competing deadlines.

• Willingness to perform a variety of duties and keep track of work for reporting to supervisors on progress.

• Ability to work optimally and independently in a fast-paced environment.

• Ideal candidates are driven, self-starters with the ability to grasp complex subject matter quickly and work well within teams.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with IMPLAN or REMI economic impact modeling software

• Previous experience working in research or communications on public health, sustainability, and social and economic justice.

• Experience with qualitative methods, including ethnography, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and design thinking

• Experience with ecological momentary assessment methods

• Experience supervising undergraduate and graduate students

Salary Range

$100,000 - $120,000

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

• Prolonged screen time.

• Use of manual dexterity.

Work Shift

• M-F, 8am – 5pm

• Flexible: 40 hours per week is required and most of this time should be during normal business hours, although number of hours per day and days per week can be negotiated and may change depending on what projects are being pursued.  This position is primarily in-person at the BBR offices and the UT Austin Campus.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

• PhD Verification

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.