Classification Title:

Post-Doctoral Associate

Job Description:

The Department of Sociology and Criminology and Law at the University of Florida, in affiliation with the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa is inviting qualified applicants for a full-time, two-year Postdoctoral Associate position. We are seeking quantitative scholars with a PhD in the fields of sociology, labor economics, organizational studies, or related disciplines. The ideal candidate will have cutting-edge skills in one or more statistical programming languages (Stata, R, or other), experience with data wrangling, data management, and analysis of very large economic data as well as substantive research experience in the areas of, or related to, quantitative economic sociology or stratification, organizational studies, and/or labor economics.

The postdoctoral associate will join a team of scholars for the project “The Polarization of Employment and Earnings in the United States.” This project is funded by NSF grant ID 2419108 with Co-PIs Dr. Tali Kristal and Dr. Edo Navot. For this project we are analyzing confidential Census data that merges multiple administrative and survey data sources to obtain a database of linked employer-employee records for purposes of analyzing the structural changes in the U.S. economy that have contributed to growing earnings inequality from 1996 – 2021. 

We seek to create a research environment that is collaborative, communicative, and conducive to problem-solving. The postdoctoral associate will primarily clean, prepare, merge, check, validate, and analyze the disparate data sources under the direction of the PIs. However, we view the role of this position as going beyond carrying out a set of goals that we set. We will provide opportunities for the postdoctoral associate to provide meaningful feedback and make substantive contributions, including offering strategic, methodological, and theoretical ideas. The postdoctoral associate will meet and consult regularly with the project team and work closely with Dr. Navot in a secure location to access the confidential data. We encourage the postdoctoral associate to leverage shared access to confidential linked employer-employee data to push forward their own research agenda.

The postdoc will have access data through the Florida Research Data Center (RDC).

Duties: This position will contribute to the data analytical and related pursuits of the research project. The postdoctoral associate will devote a portion of their full-time schedule to pursuing their own research agenda. There are no teaching duties associated with this position. The postdoctoral associate will be based in Gainesville, FL. Because researchers can only access confidential Census data within an RDC, fulfilling the duties of this position remotely is not possible. 

Start Date: January 2025. Start date is potentially negotiable but no later than August 2025.

UF is the state’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and was ranked 6^th in the country among public universities (US News and World Report 2023 rankings), and 1^st among public institutions in the Wall Street Journal 2023 survey. UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF’s large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support a range of activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of programs including magnet schools and an international baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville.

Advertised Salary:

The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the compensation includes a full benefits package. To see more, visit, benefits.hr.ufl.edu.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must complete PhD prior to start of employment.

• Background in economic sociology, stratification, organizational studies, labor economics, applied econometrics or other research field related to economic inequalities.
• Highly skilled in applied quantitative methods or applied econometrics.
• Highly proficient in at least one statistical programming language (e.g. Stata, R, etc.)
• Experience with at least one of the major public U.S. population survey products such as the American Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), etc.
• Before any researcher can access confidential Census data, they must undergo a background check and fingerprinting to obtain “Special Sworn Status” (SSS) with the Bureau of the Census. Appointment to the postdoctoral position is conditional on successfully passing the Census background check and obtaining SSS. Foreign national researchers are eligible for SSS if they have resided in the U.S. for at least 36 of the last 60 months. Obtaining and maintaining SSS is subject to several additional restrictions, which can be found here. Fees associated with obtaining SSS will be paid out of project funds, not by individual researchers.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate may also have experience with very large and/or administrative data; linked employer-employee data; use of restricted-access and/or confidential data. These additional qualifications are highly beneficial but not necessary.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applications must be submitted online. Click on Apply Now at the top of this posting.

A complete application includes:

1. Cover letter summarizing your qualifications, areas of expertise, and research interests. If you would like to independently pursue a research project utilizing confidential, linked employer-employee data, include a brief description of your project. If you have not yet completed your degree, please describe your expected PhD completion date and the remaining work before your defense. Preference will be given to qualified applicants who are able to start the fellowship in January 2025.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Writing sample (preferably no more than 30 pages) which may be a dissertation chapter, an article manuscript, or a published article in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
4. A brief (2-3 page max) description of a challenge you encountered while conducting quantitative, statistical, or econometric research and how you overcame this challenge.

After initial review, letters of recommendation will be requested from the references for selected applicants.

Applications will be reviewed beginning September 30, 2024, and the position will remain open until filled. Only complete applications will be reviewed at this time. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States require evaluation by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under the Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-24772477 or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law. 

The Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law is committed to promoting an environment that welcomes all abilities, classes, ethnicities/races, gender identities and expressions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service.

The University of Florida is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information, and veteran status in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. 

Health Assessment Required:

No