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: Embedded Analyst (Chicago Police Department)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR00412
The UChicago Crime Lab is seeking Embedded Analysts with strong technical and communication skills to work in close partnership with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) on a project to enhance CPD’s use of data to improve public safety. Each Analyst will be embedded in a division of CPD, will work alongside officers, and will assist command staff with analyzing crime patterns and trends, preparing briefing materials, and training others on the use of tools and systems. Working as part of a larger Crime Lab team, the Analysts will enable CPD to utilize the data at its disposal to make better-informed decisions that meet the needs of the communities they serve.
The Embedded Analyst position is a one-year assignment, though there may be an opportunity to extend it subject to funding and project needs. Analysts will work in the Urban Labs Loop office approximately 20% of the week and are embedded in CPD stations the remaining 80% of the week.
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR02020
The University of Chicago Crime and Education Lab is seeking a full-time Research Director to contribute scientific and intellectual leadership to the organization and our work. The primary role of the Research Director is to direct a portfolio of applied research projects in association with faculty members and research teams focused on reducing crime and violence and improving educational performance and attainment and other life outcomes for disadvantaged youth in addition to facilitating technical assistance work for government partners and strategic partners. In this role, the Research Director will provide scientific direction on all projects, ensure the rigor and quality of all work, manage and mentor research and project staff, and help to set and contribute to organizational priorities as part of the management team. The Research Director will report to the Executive Director and work collaboratively with senior faculty members at the University of Chicago and elsewhere, other research directors, and with partner agencies. The Research Director will contribute to the scientific content of research proposals, and will assist the ED and other faculty affiliates in supporting fundraising, dissemination and policymaker outreach activities. The Research Director will also contribute to strategic conversations about which new projects and initiatives the Crime and Education Lab should take on as well as management of staff and leadership on organizational initiatives.
- Job Title: Project Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03414
The University of Chicago Education Lab seeks a full-time Project Director to oversee our portfolio of CPS projects and support the effort to ensure that all Chicago Public Schools students receive high-quality supports across academic instruction, socioemotional supports, and postsecondary pathways.
- Job Title: Communications and Events Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Reporting to: AD, Crime and Education Lab
- Requisition Number: JR02759
The Communications and Events Manager will support the development and implementation of a communications strategy, with the goal of disseminating information to policy makers, practitioners, the research community, the philanthropic community, and the public. This person will report to the Associate Director of the Crime and Education Labs and work closely with the Crime and Education Labs’ leadership team to increase awareness of Labs’ work, share lessons learned, and engage with the local and national media to maximize the impact of the work.
- Job Title: Associate Director, Operations
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer
- Requisition Number: JR02858
The University of Chicago Crime and Education Labs are seeking an Associate Director of Operations to manage strategic research and operations projects and culture building initiatives across the Crime and Education Labs in Chicago and New York. This person must work well in a fast paced and dynamic environment and be able to manage multiple projects and switch priorities as needed. The Associate Director will be responsible for broader organizational development initiatives, and implementing internal policies and programs across the Crime and Education Labs. The Associate Director will report to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with the Crime and Education leadership team.
- Job Title: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR02942
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is seeking a full-time one- or two-year postdoctoral research fellow who has demonstrated research interest in topics related to criminal justice reform. Postdocs will report to Crime Lab Faculty Director Jens Ludwig and are expected to productively carry out self-directed research and contribute to the larger intellectual community of the Crime Lab by, for example, interacting with Crime Lab research staff and senior faculty members at the University of Chicago and elsewhere. There may also be possibilities for interested postdoctoral research fellows to take on leadership roles for selected research projects with government agency partners. This position can be based in either Chicago, IL or New York City. Though the position is relatively new, recent fellows have moved on to tenure-track faculty positions at top-tier research universities such as the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.
- Job Title: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Data Science)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR02856
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is seeking a full-time one- or two-year data science postdoctoral research fellow to contribute scientific and intellectual leadership to our portfolio of projects applying machine learning to public policy, particularly in the area of reducing violence and incarceration, and improving policing and police-community relations. Postdocs will report to Crime Lab Faculty Director Jens Ludwig and are expected to productively carry out self-directed research and contribute to the larger intellectual community of the Crime Lab by, for example, interacting with Crime Lab research staff and senior faculty members at the University of Chicago and elsewhere. There may also be possibilities for interested postdoctoral research fellows to take on leadership roles for selected research projects with government agency partners. Though the position is relatively new, recent fellows have moved on to tenure-track faculty positions at top-tier research universities such as the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.
This position can be based in either Chicago, IL or New York City. The starting date for the position is flexible and could be as soon as Fall 2018 or as late as Fall 2019.
- Job Title: Research Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03286
The Crime and Education Labs are seeking a Research Manager to work on large-scale social policy experiments designed to test the effectiveness of interventions to reduce violence and improve youth outcomes. This position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers, local policymakers, frontline practitioners, and a dedicated team of research analysts, data scientists, and administrative staff.
Health Lab
- Job Title: Temporary Research Assistant (Supportive Release Center Project)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR02280
The Temporary Research Assistant position is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of policy research and to develop research skills.
This part-time position requires a time commitment of 15 hours per week for data collection and data entry. Please note that our office is in downtown Chicago at 33 N. LaSalle St.
- Job Title: Research Analyst
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03392
The Health Lab is seeking a Research Analyst with strong research, methodological, and programming skills to support social policy research projects. The Research Analyst will have the opportunity to apply tools and approaches from methodologies in both traditional econometrics and modern data science to original projects on mental illness and the criminal justice system, improving health outcomes and reducing costs, and homelessness. In addition to supporting field-based randomized controlled trials, the Research Analyst will contribute to a growing practice of advanced analytical solutions to provide data-driven technical assistance to governmental and non-profit partners.
The successful candidate will have experience in applying a variety of statistical modeling approaches to large datasets in real-world settings. From project inception to delivery, the Research Analyst will contribute to all facets of data collection & cleaning, model development, and implementation. This position requires an individual who is able to work as a part of small research teams running multiple projects concurrently. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers at the University of Chicago and local city agency staff, as well as a team of administrative staff, project managers, and student research assistants from the Chicago office.
- Job Title: Embedded Health Research Analyst
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03033
The UChicago Health Lab is seeking an Embedded Analyst with strong technical and communication skills to work in close partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health on projects of priority to IDPH. The Analyst will work closely with the Director of IDPH, will work alongside IDPH analysts, and will assist in analyzing health outcomes patterns and trends and preparing briefing materials. Working as part of a larger Health Lab team, the Analyst will enable IDPH to utilize data at its disposal to make informed decisions that meet the needs of the communities across Illinois. The analyst will also provide assistance on projects that are partnerships between the Health Lab and IDPH.
The Embedded Analyst position is a one-year assignment, though there may be an opportunity to extend it subject to funding and project needs. The Analyst will be embedded in IDPH’s loop office but attend meetings in the Urban Labs Loop office and liaison with Health Lab leadership frequently.
Poverty Lab
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR02455
The University of Chicago Poverty Lab is seeking a full-time Research Director to provide scientific and intellectual leadership for the Poverty Lab. The Research Director, in partnership with senior faculty members at the University of Chicago and elsewhere, will provide scientific direction for a portfolio of applied research projects and ensure the rigor and quality of the Lab's work.
- Job Title: Project Associate
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03034
The University of Chicago Poverty Lab is seeking a Project Associate to support large-scale social policy research projects. This person will work on a portfolio of projects designed to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of promising poverty interventions. The role will focus on increasing the evidence base around effective services to promote foundational stability, specifically access to stable housing (and preventing or ending homelessness), workforce development, and household financial stability.
This position requires an individual who is able to work as a part of small research teams running multiple projects concurrently. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading social policy researchers at the University of Chicago and government agency staff, as well as a team of administrative staff, project managers, and student research assistants from the Chicago office.
- Job Title: Human Resources Administrator (part-time)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR03151
The University of Chicago Poverty Lab is seeking a part-time Human Resources Administrator to support the Executive Director in building and maintaining a fully-staffed, high-functioning organization. The Human Resources Administrator will report directly to the Executive Director, and will be supported by HR staff at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Harris School of Public Policy. This is a great opportunity for a professional looking to support and contribute to an innovative, mission-driven organization in a fast-paced “startup” environment with the potential of the role to grow to full-time with the addition of more strategic HR responsibilities. Initially, the HR administrator will be responsible for staff recruitment, onboarding, and retention.
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 is a rapidly growing organization. If you do not see an opening at this time and would like to be considered for future opportunities, please send your resume and a general cover letter to urbanlabscareers@uchicago.edu. In the cover letter, please reference the type of position you are interested in. We also encourage you to check this Careers page for a list of current openings and submit an application to the University of Chicago Workday job board as new opportunities arise. If your qualifications are a strong match for an opportunity, we will reach out to discuss your background and interests.
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 urbanlabscareers@uchicago.edu. Thanks!
