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: Project Associate
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07828
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is seeking a Project Associate with strong project management skills. 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 an experienced team of data scientists, administrative staff, and project managers from the Chicago office.
- Job Title: Project Associate (Data)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07837
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is seeking a Project Associate with strong technical skills to support large-scale social policy research projects. This person will work on a portfolio of projects designed to test the effectiveness of promising interventions.
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 an experienced team of data scientists, administrative staff, and project managers from the Chicago office. The Crime Lab is also hiring a Project Associate to support with project management responsibilities. For more information on the project management role, please see the “to apply” section.
- Job Title: Research Analyst
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Reporting to: Director of Data Analytics
- Requisition Number: JR07831
The UChicago Crime and Education Labs are seeking Research Analysts with strong technical skills to work on large-scale social policy research projects designed to reduce crime and improve educational outcomes. The analyst will work on a portfolio of projects across a variety of areas that span both criminal justice and education.
The successful candidate will have experience in applying a variety of statistical modeling and data analysis techniques to 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 NYC-area universities, local city agency staff, as well as a team of administrative staff, other analysts, research managers, and student research assistants.
- Job Title: Data Research Assistant (Summer Internship)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07842
The temporary Research Assistant summer internship is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of policy research and to develop research skills. This is a paid, full-time position for approximately 37.5 hours per week. Please note that our office is located in downtown Chicago at 33 N. LaSalle Street.
- Job Title: Policy Research Assistant (Summer Internship)
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07847
The temporary Research Assistant summer internship is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of policy research and to develop research skills. This is a paid, full-time position for approximately 37.5 hours per week. Please note that our office is located in downtown Chicago at 33 N. LaSalle Street.
- Job Title: Data Scientist
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR08154
The University of Chicago Crime & Education Labs team is seeking a data scientist to work on our portfolio of projects applying machine learning to public policy, particularly in the area of improving policing and police- community relations. We’re seeking a smart, motivated, and detail-oriented person to work on all parts of a project – all the way from cleaning and structuring raw data to developing predictive models and evaluating them in a randomized control trial.
- 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.
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07017
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.
We are currently recruiting for an Research Director in Chicago and a Research Director in New York.
Crime Lab New York
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR06861
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.
We are currently recruiting for an Research Director in Chicago and a Research Director in 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: Finance and Operations Manager
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Requisition Number: JR07779
The University of Chicago Poverty Lab is seeking a full-time Finance and Operations Manager to support the Executive Director in building a nimble and high-functioning organization. The Finance and Operations Manager will report directly to the Executive Director, and will be supported by finance staff at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Harris School of Public Policy. This is a great opportunity for an early career professional to learn about finance and operations in a fast-paced “startup” environment and to contribute to an innovative, mission-driven organization. The Finance and Operations Manager with be responsible for budgeting and financial projections; office operations; and grant compliance.
- 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!
