Research Specialist I/II - Princeton University - Princeton, NJ

** This is a one year term position**

The Empirical Study of Conflict (ESOC) Project seeks a Research Specialist to provide geo-spatial and statistical analysis as well as qualitative research for a multi-university team of researchers. Under the direction of the Principal Investigator, the Research Specialist will analyze and develop micro-level conflict data to examine politically motivated violence worldwide and the efficacy of policies to reduce it (including Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Iraq, Pakistan, and the Philippines).

This position is ideal for those with Masters degrees seeking an applied research position as well as exceptional graduating seniors with a strong interest in pursuing a PhD in Economics or Political Science after acquiring a year of research experience.

Essential Qualifications

Position Requires:

• BA or more advanced degree, preferably in social science or statistics


• Academic experience conducting micro-economic and statistical analysis as well as historical research


• Proficiency with or ability to rapidly learn R, STATA, and ArcGIS software or equivalent


• Excellent writing and analytical skills


• Evidence of ability to take the initiative in solving practical research problems


• Ability to work independently and to adjust to rapidly changing needs of researchers

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred:

• Masters degree in Economics


• Two or more years of experience working on impact evaluation projects involving randomized trials or matched control designs


• Familiarity with the use of ESRI suite of products and Python scripting


• Familiarity with SQL or other database systems


• Experience with automated scraping of data from websites

This is a one-year term position. Anticipated start date is June 15, 2016. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Earlier start dates are possible if desired.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and C.V. online. Upon request, candidates should be prepared to submit references, transcripts, and/or writing samples.

The final candidate will be required to complete a background check successfully.