Pre-Doc Researcher, Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research, Wharton School

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Pre-Doc Researcher, Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research, Wharton School

Job Profile Title

Database Administrator

Job Description Summary

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

Job Description

The Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research at the Wharton School is seeking a pre-doctoral research associate to support research in banking and regulation. The Research Associate will work closely with Accounting Professors Allison Nicoletti and Christina Zhu.

The job responsibilities include conducting statistical and econometric analyses, creating data visualizations, cleaning data for analysis, conducting background research, and writing summaries and research reports. The Research Associate will support research on projects across a range of topics such as: deposit markets, lending, regulation, and consumer information processing.

A successful pre-doctoral research associate will work in this challenging position for 1-2 years, be passionate about social science research, possess a strong desire to expand and deepen skills in economic research and quantitative data analysis, and emerge prepared to apply for PhD programs in Economics or Finance.  Research Associates will be encouraged to be an active part of the Wharton research community, which can include attending seminars, exploring personal research interests, and taking graduate-level classes at Wharton.  Professors Nicoletti and Zhu will provide supervision and mentorship on academic development. The Research Associate will join a cohort of pre-doctoral Research Associates across other departments at the Wharton School.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Proficiency in at least one major statistical software such as R, Python (with Pandas), and Stata

• Coursework in either statistics, data analysis, or econometrics

• Eager to develop skills related to data, statistics, programming, and thinking like an economist

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related discipline

• Previous experience as a research assistant or conducting independent research using statistical software such as R or Stata.

• Ability to analyze data

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Self-directe