Predoctoral Research Assistant (Contract) ? Economics and Computation

Key Skills

Java Programming, Python Programming, C++, C Programming, SQL, Cloud computing, Scala Programming, Machine learning techniques, Data science techniques, MATLAB Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow, R Programming

Job Description

Microsoft Research?(MSR) invites you to apply for a two-year full-time pre-doctoral research assistant?position?in the Economics?and Computation?group. The predoctoral program at MSR New England and New York City is designed to offer recent graduates research experience prior to pursuing a Ph.D. in economics, information systems, computational social science, or computer science (with a focus in algorithmic economics or a similar subfield). For more information on this program and our group please visit https://aka.ms/msr-predoc.

Microsoft Research is an interdisciplinary academic research lab within Microsoft. As in many economics pre-doc programs at universities, successful candidates will work one-on-one with researchers at Microsoft and their collaborators at top economics departments on research for peer-reviewed journals. You will also have the unique opportunity to participate in Microsoft’s interdisciplinary lab environment and explore work at the intersections of economics and computer science, statistics, computational biology, and sociotechnical systems. You’ll also see how advances in economics are being deployed to solve real-world business problems. To learn more about Microsoft Research and the NYC and New England Labs, please visit https://aka.ms/about-msr.

The successful candidate will have the following required skills:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree (before starting) in a quantitative field (such as applied math, statistics, economics, management science, physics,?operations research,?or computer science)
• Strong?quantitative skills
• Strong interest in building upon this pre-doc experience to pursue a PhD in economics or a related field
• Programming experience

Additional preferred (but not required) skills include:

• Programming experience in Python, R, Stata, MATLAB,?and/or C#.
• Material experience doing empirical research, perhaps through undergraduate research positions, honors theses, or previous full-time jobs.
• Motivated to expand their knowledge and expertise in working with data—cleaning, describing, understanding, connecting with theory, analyzing,?and?presenting.

Application Process:

Please complete the following application: https://aka.ms/msr-predoc/apply before October 17th 3:00 PM ET.

Selected candidates will be asked to 1) complete a programming challenge in a 48-hour period of their choosing between October 24 and November 2; and 2) request a letter of recommendation from a professor or supervisor who can speak to their quantitative ability.