Career Opportunities
Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with the University of Chicago Urban Labs! Urban Labs has a strong commitment to using science in service of cities to improve the quality of urban life. We regularly seek out passionate, data-oriented, public service minded individuals to join our team.
For more information on Urban Labs' career opportunities, culture and recruiting process, please see the frequently asked question section below.
Current Opportunities
Crime & Education Labs
- Job Title: Data Acquisitions Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR08032
The University of Chicago Crime & Education Labs are seeking a Data Acquisitions Manager to support the internal operations related to data acquisitions, management, stewardship and compliance. This person will work with Labs staff in processing data requests for research projects, and with external partners to coordinate communication regarding data sharing agreements. This individual will also be responsible for ongoing documentation and recordkeeping related to data maintained by Urban Labs, and reinforcing policies and procedures.
Crime Lab New York
- Job Title: Research Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR08086
Crime Lab New York is seeking a Research Manager to work on large-scale social policy experiments designed to test the effectiveness of interventions to reduce violence and improve outcomes for the most disadvantaged and at-risk populations in New York and New Jersey. Working in close coordination with the Executive Director and the Crime Lab New York research team, the Research Manager will be responsible for the daily management of a portfolio of projects. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers, as well as other project managers and research analysts.
Health Lab
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR06923
The Role:
The University of Chicago Health Lab is seeking a full-time Research Director to contribute to the scientific and intellectual leadership for the Health Lab. The Research Director will partner with Health Lab faculty directors and affiliated faculty within and outside the University of Chicago to provide scientific direction for a portfolio of applied research projects and to ensure the rigor and quality of the Lab's work.
Responsibilities:
• Work with Health Lab faculty to direct a portfolio of applied research projects focused on urban health, including at the interactions of health and criminal justice involvement, and health and homelessness, as well as incorporating tools from predictive analytics and machine learning across the areas in which the Health Lab is doing work
• Manage and mentor research and project staff, providing scientific direction and ensuring the rigor and quality of all work
• Contribute to strategic conversations about which new projects and initiatives should be taken on by the Health Lab
• Work collaboratively with practitioners and policy makers to develop and implement applied research projects
• Contribute to, and be able to lead, development of scientific content and research proposals
• Disseminate research findings to both research and practitioner/policy maker audiences
• Serve as a member of the Health Lab’s senior leadership team, with primary reporting to the Health Lab Faculty Director and reporting to the Faculty Co-Director and Executive Director
Competencies:
• Expertise in all aspects of the research design, methods, and evaluation of research projects in the area of health policy or expertise in machine learning/predictive analytics required. Expertise in both preferred
• Interest in finding and testing innovative solutions to urban problems
• Content expertise in workforce development, healthcare delivery, or financial stability preferred
Education:
• Ph.D. in public policy, economics, statistics, computer science, or other relevant field by fall 2019 required
Poverty Lab
- Job Title: Policy Research Assistant (Summer Internship)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07973
The temporary Research Assistant summer internship is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of policy research and to develop research skills. The paid position will be full-time for approximately 37.5 hours per week. Please note that our office is located in downtown Chicago at 111 W. Washington Street.
- Job Title: Portfolio Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR08062
The UChicago Poverty Lab is seeking a Portfolio Manager to work on large-scale social policy experiments designed to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of poverty interventions. This individual will be overseeing Every Dollar Counts and Transforming Impossible to Possible. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers at the University of Chicago, as well as a team of administrative staff, other project managers, research analysts, and student research assistants. The Portfolio Manager will also collaborate closely with the UChicago Poverty Labs' partners in the public and nonprofit sectors.
- Job Title: Data Research Assistant (Summer Internship)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07972
The temporary Research Assistant summer internship is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of policy research and to develop research skills. This paid position will be full-time for approximately 37.5 hours per week. Please note that our office is located in downtown Chicago at 111 W. Washington Street.
FAQs
For our three most common research roles--Project Associate, Research Manager, and Research Analyst--please refer to the responsibilities outlined below:
- Project Associates support large-scale social policy research projects designed to test the effectiveness of promising interventions by supporting a Research Manager or Research Analyst.
- Research Managers work directly with leading social science researchers, local policymakers, frontline practitioners, and a dedicated team of research analysts, data scientists, and administrative staff to implement ambitious field experiments.
- Research Analysts apply a variety of statistical modeling and data techniques to datasets in real-world settings, and contribute to all facets of data collection & cleaning, model development, analysis, and interpretation of results.
Urban Labs also hires for other positions in research, IT, and operations. We encourage you to view opportunities below.
You may be asked to submit multiple documents, including a Cover Letter, Writing Sample, and Unofficial Transcripts from the highest degree program received. Please see the job description for the exact documents required for that job. All materials should be submitted to the Workday system. Refer to the job requisition number on the job description to apply to the correct position.
All of our positions require a cover letter. In the cover letter, we encourage you to elaborate on your relevant achievements and describe your interest in the position.
We appreciate your interest in Urban Labs and look forward to reviewing your application. Due to the high-volume of applications that we receive, although we try, we may not be able to respond to all individual inquires.
Urban Labs employees are committed to creating a collaborative, high energy office that is open and welcoming to individuals of all backgrounds and life experiences, and prioritize developing a workforce that is as diverse as the city in which we work.
While we are affiliated with the University of Chicago, we are not located in Hyde Park. We have an office in downtown Chicago, which allows us to work more closely with our public sector partners.
In addition, Urban Labs also has an office in New York City that focuses on Crime and Education work. The New York Office works in close collaboration with the Crime and Education Labs in Chicago.
Urban Labs is a set of highly collaborative Labs and as such, we all work together towards a common mission of science in service of cities.
If you have questions about the Workday Application System, click here.
If you have specific questions that were not answered in our above frequently asked questions section, please contact us at urbanlabs@uchicago.edu Thanks!
