Department of Economics

Predoctoral Fellow in Economic History, Political Economy, and Cultural Economics 70 %

Start of employment by agreement, temporary

The Economics Department, University of Zurich (Prof. Hans-Joachim Voth), has openings for full-time pre-doctoral Research Officers. The positions are for one year in the first instance, renewable. Current research topics revolve around the use of large-scale historical data to answer economic research questions, with applications in cultural economics, political economy, and economic history.

Your responsibilities

The position offers an opportunity to gain experience in cutting-edge empirical research in historical economics, political economy, and cultural economics. Your responsibilities will include every step in the lifecycle of a paper, from inception to publication. Specifically, your tasks will include obtaining, cleaning, and analysing structured and unstructured data using statistical software, large language models, and machine learning, as well as presenting your results. Initiative is highly appreciated, and your thoughts and comments will help shape the projects you work on. Visit www.jvoth.com for further information on published and ongoing research.

Your profile

The positions are well-suited for BA or Master's program graduates who wish to gain first-hand experience in research before entering a PhD program. Applicants from outside the EU should have a minimum Master's degree. Former predocs have joined doctoral programs or research labs at Berkeley, MIT, Chicago, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, UBC, Oxford, and LSE. We are particularly interested in people with a strong quantitative background, statistical skills (STATA), experience in computer programming (Python), web scraping, text2data, AI (LLMs), and/or the use of geographical data for quantitative analysis. Curiosity and energy matter to us as much as initiative and attention to detail.
  • University degree in a relevant discipline (economics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, economic history)
  • Postgraduate qualifications (MA/MSc/MPhil) or a BA with an outstanding record
  • Excellent research and analytical skills
  • Good knowledge of STATA, ARC-GIS, Matlab, Python preferred, but not strictly necessary

Information on your application

Applications including a CV, a cover letter, and names of two referees should be sent to eh.team@econ.uzh.ch.
For further information about our research and the Department of Economics please see: www.jvoth.com and www.econ.uzh.ch. Should you wish to make contact or require any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to eh.team@econ.uzh.ch.

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More

What we offer

Work-Life Balance
  • Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
  • Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH


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Learning and Development
  • Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
  • Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

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Food
  • Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
  • Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

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Healthcare
  • Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
  • Free seasonal flu vaccinations
  • Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

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Discounts
  • Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
  • Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
  • Special conditions on hotel reservations

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Conditions of Employment
  • Policies of the UZH
  • Most UZH staff are employed according to public law


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International Services
  • Support for people from outside Switzerland

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Campuses
  • Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
  • Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

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Further information

Questions about the job

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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
UZH