RUSTDEC Pre-Doctoral Research Associate

Organisation/Company Barcelona School of Economics Research Field Economics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Final date to receive applications 15 Mar 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number  Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

We are seeking to fill two full-time pre-doctoral Research Associate positions to support the ERC-funded project "Rural Structural Transformation in Developing Countries" (RUSTDEC). The project investigates the causes and consequences of structural transformation in developing countries and its potential interaction with climate change.

The position will be based at UAB’s Bellaterra campus in Barcelona and will be co-supervised by the Principal Investigator of the project, Dr. Andre Groeger, together with work package-specific collaborators. The position offers unique learning opportunities, competitive economic conditions and the chance to participate in the vibrant academic life of the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE) community.

The successful applicant should be enthusiastic about research and motivated to apply analytical and writing skills to studies in development, spatial, and environmental economics. Responsibilities may include data collection and cleaning, econometric and structural analysis, conducting literature reviews, and/or documenting data work with reproducible replication packages. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in programming languages such as Stata, R or Python. Previous knowledge of Dynare, GIS and/or Matlab applications and coding is an advantage.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Economics Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

• Good research and learning environment
• Work flexibility

Based on academic performance (50%) and experience (50%).

Send a CV, the most recent transcript from the current/last academic degree (Bachelor or Master), and a motivation letter to research with subject RUSTDEC Pre-Doctoral Research Associate 2026 “Your Surname” before 15/03/2026
. Two academic reference letters are required and shall be sent by the letter writer directly to the same email address. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Additional comments

Job vacancy advertisement is posted EURAXESS.
Position reference:

RU20261.2.2- RUSTDEC Research Assistants