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
Energy & Environment Lab
- Job Title: Summer Research Assistant (2026)
- Desired Start Date: 06.01.2026
- Reporting to: Olga Rostapshova
Who We Are
The University of Chicago Energy & Environment Lab (E&E Lab) partners with agencies at the local, state and federal level to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce pollution and improve environmental outcomes, while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy. The E&E Lab uses natural experiments, randomized controlled trials, behavioral economics, and machine learning to help policymakers identify and generate evidence around innovative approaches to their most pressing environmental and energy-related challenges.
The E&E Lab is part of the University of Chicago’s new Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth. The Lab’s mission is to partner with government agencies to identify and rigorously evaluate policies with the greatest potential to improve human lives at scale; the Lab’s evidence-based approach gives policymakers and practitioners the knowledge they need to effectively achieve the greatest social good per dollar spent.
Job Summary
The E&E Lab is seeking Summer Research Assistants (RAs) with strong research, methodological, and programming skills to support large-scale environmental policy research projects. The RAs will work on a portfolio of economics projects, designed to evaluate the impact of promising energy and environmental interventions. Typical research projects involve the analysis of environmental and energy data, utilizing quasi-experimental and experimental methods to provide government partners with guidance on key policy questions.
- Job Title: Post-doctoral Scholar
- Desired Start Date: 08.01.2026
The Role:
The University of Chicago E&E Lab is seeking a full-time Post-Doctoral Scholar to help build and co-lead a portfolio of applied research projects related to environmental policy. The Post-Doctoral Scholar will work closely with the Lab’s Executive Director, Research Directors, other post-docs and the Pritzker Faculty Director (Prof. Michael Greenstone); and collaborate with other faculty members at the University of Chicago, other top universities, as well as government agency partners.
The postdoc will provide intellectual leadership and management for E&E’s strategic planning and analytical work. This includes producing research articles, contributing to the scientific content of research proposals and supporting research dissemination and policymaker outreach activities.
Research Training:
The Post-Doctoral Fellowship offers continued training in preparation for an independent research career. The Fellow will be encouraged to develop collaborative relationships with academic staff/faculty and visitors in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, Harris School of Public Policy, the Booth School of Business, and other units around campus.
- Job Title: Research Analyst
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Reporting to: Olga Rostapshova
- Requisition Number: JR32400
About the Department
The University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG) is a groundbreaking effort uniting faculty from across the University to advance society’s understanding of our energy and climate future. The Institute combines faculty insights in energy markets and policy, climate systems engineering, and energy technology to produce world-changing ideas while also investing in the next generation of energy and climate thinkers, leaders, and innovators through novel educational programs.
The University of Chicago Energy and Environment Lab (EE Lab) partners with agencies at the federal, state, and local level to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce pollution and improve environmental outcomes, while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy. The EE Lab applies rigorous evaluation and modeling methods, including natural and field experiments, randomized controlled trials, behavioral economics, and machine learning, to help policymakers identify and generate evidence on innovative approaches and policy solutions to their most pressing environmental and energy challenges.
Job Summary
The University of Chicago Energy and Environment Lab (EE Lab) is seeking a Research Analyst (RA) with strong research, methodological, and management skills to support large-scale environmental policy research projects. The RA will coordinate a growing portfolio of projects, including machine learning projects, designed to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of promising energy and environmental interventions. The RA will contribute to the design, implementation, and analysis of energy and environment research projects with direct applicability for policymakers. This role will work closely with U.S. government agencies, municipal governments, researchers, and a dedicated team of research analysts, data scientists, and staff, to support research projects led by the EE Lab and Faculty Director Michael Greenstone.
This position performs routine assignments related to scientific research projects. Ensures compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives and mandates. Analyzes possible solutions using standard procedures. Writes articles, reports and manuscripts. Assists in drafting presentations on research findings.
- Job Title: Project Associate
- Desired Start Date: TBC
- Reporting to: Olga Rostapshova
- Requisition Number: JR32399
About the Department
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth’s Energy and Environment Lab (EE Lab) partners with agencies at the federal, state and local level to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce pollution and improve environmental outcomes, while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy. The EE Lab applies rigorous evaluation and modeling methods, including natural and field experiments, randomized controlled trials, behavioral economics, and machine learning, to help policymakers identify and generate evidence on innovative approaches and policy solutions to their most pressing environmental and energy challenges.
Job Summary
The University of Chicago Energy and Environment Lab is seeking a Project Associate (PA) with strong research, methodological, and programming skills to support environmental policy research projects. The PA will work on a portfolio of projects designed to evaluate the impact of promising energy and environmental interventions. Typical research projects involve the analysis of environmental and energy data, utilizing quasi-experimental and experimental methods to provide government partners with guidance on key policy questions.
The successful candidate will have experience with data management, econometrics, and statistical modeling. The PA will contribute to all aspects of research, including data collection, model development, and implementation. This position requires an individual who is able to work as part of small research teams, and on multiple projects concurrently, while also being self-directed and independent. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with leading policy researchers and faculty at the University of Chicago and other universities, and policymakers in state and local environmental agencies.
Inclusive Economy Lab
- Job Title: Research Director
- Desired Start Date: 07.01.2026
- Requisition Number: JR32083
The University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab is seeking a full-time Research Director to provide scientific and intellectual leadership for Inclusive Economy Lab projects. The Research Associate will serve as a Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on a portfolio of Inclusive Economy Lab projects, ensuring the rigor and quality of the Lab's work.
Applications close January 31, 2026.
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!
