Postdoctoral Researcher

Job Posting Title:
Postdoctoral Researcher
----
Hiring Department:
Population Research Center
----
Position Open To:
All Applicants
----
Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
----
FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
----
Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
----
Position Duration:
Expected to Continue Until Nov 30, 2027
----
Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS
----
Job Details:
General Notes
Postdoctoral Researcher
The Strong Communities Lab in the Department of Sociology and the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin has an opening for a post-doctoral researcher with a start date between January 2027 and June 2027.
The Strong Communities Lab investigates the role of nonprofit organizations and government programs in strengthening civic infrastructure in the United States. Projects undertaken by the Lab are typically multi-method, use novel administrative data, and involve computational social science methods. The postdoctoral researcher will collaborate on multiple research projects related to nonprofits, civil society, and strong communities, and work under the supervision of Director Pamela Paxton. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, acquiring and cleaning data, linking databases, producing visualizations and statistical/computational analysis, and writing up and presenting results to both academic and policy audiences. The postdoctoral researcher will participate in lab management, including coordinating lab research, monitoring research progression and publication, and attending and contributing to lab meetings. The successful candidate will also play a role in mentoring graduate research assistants on the project. We offer professional development opportunities, including through the postdoctoral training program at the Population Research Center, and the postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to co-author publications with the PI and team and use lab data for future research.
This position is currently funded for one year from start date.
What benefits do I receive with UT?
The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards.
For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/.
Our college seeks to build a supportive, growth-minded community and cultivate outstanding and courageous leaders. For more information on the college staff leadership academy, please visit:
https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/.
For more information on college staff professional development, please visit:
https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund.
Purpose
The postdoctoral researcher support the Strong Communities Lab by conducting high-quality research, helping manage the Lab, and mentoring graduate research assistants. The candidate will work closely with the Lab Director, Pamela Paxton, and will have the opportunity to co-author publications and use Lab data for future research. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants must have completed the PhD education requirement prior to the start of the position.
Responsibilities
Project Research involving quantitative data tasks including data collection, extraction, coding, and analysis
Publish manuscript and articles based on analyses
Oversee lab management and graduate research assistants
Provide mentoring to graduate students interested in research field.
Required Qualifications
A PhD in sociology, nonprofit administration, political science, or related disciplines, received no more than three years prior to the start date.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to work in a team environment, participate actively, and motivate others.
Excellent time management skills and ability to work independently.
Experience managing and analyzing quantitative data using sophisticated statistical or computer programming techniques, proficiency in R or Stata, and ability to apply rigorous data analysis techniques to real-world problems.
Preferred Qualifications
Proficiency with natural language processing and computational social science.
Previous experience with managing large datasets.
A background in nonprofit scholarship.
Salary Range
$70,000+, depending on qualifications
Working Conditions
Typical Office/Lab Environment
Required Materials
Cover letter / letter of interest CV that includes the names and contact information for 3 references
Research statement
Writing sample
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.
----
Employment Eligibility:
Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.
----
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.
----
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
----
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.
----
Pay Transparency: