University of Chicago Urban Labs

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The University of Chicago Poverty Lab is looking for a Research Director to join our leadership team and provide scientific direction on our growing portfolio of applied research projects. We are searching for a researcher who is interested in leading innovative projects focused on social mobility and who is motivated by the desire to have a practical impact in Chicago. We launched the University of Chicago Poverty Lab in 2015 to test innovative approaches to addressing the intersecting challenges faced by low-income residents of our cities. We bring the best science and “big data” analysis possible to bear on the problem of policy design, leveraging government administrative data to guide local policy and to generate high-quality evidence about what works. The Research Director, in partnership with senior faculty members at the University of Chicago and elsewhere, will provide scientific direction on these projects, and ensure the rigor and quality of the Lab's work. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in public policy, economics, criminology, statistics, computer science, or other relevant field by fall 2019. Preference will be given to those with an interest and expertise in labor markets, workforce development, housing or homelessness and/or expertise in predictive analytics and machine learning.