Postdoctoral Scholar, Mining and Local Development - Zambia

Postdoctoral Scholar, Mining and Local Development - Zambia

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks an outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar (postdoc) to support a multi-year research initiative evaluating the social and economic impacts of the exploitation of KoBold’s Mingomba copper mine in Chililabombwe, Zambia - the largest high quality copper mine in the world. The project combines large-scale household surveys, a regression discontinuity design to measure the causal effects of mine employment, and historical research on the Copperbelt.

The postdoc will report to Berkeley-based CEGA affiliated PI Jonathan Weigel, and work in close collaboration with Co-Investigators Edward Miguel (UC Berkeley), Anja Benshaul-Tolonen (Barnard/Columbia), and Dale Mudenda (University of Zambia).

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting‑edge empirical research on resource extraction, labor markets, and community welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa, while engaging with academic and policy audiences.

The position is full-time, based in Berkeley, California.

Key responsibilities

The postdoc will:

• Lead the development and implementation of survey instruments for a panel survey of 4,000 households across 400 villages
  , including sampling design, census operations, and field protocols.
• Coordinate with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Zambia on field implementation, quality control, and data management.
• Oversee baseline and endline data collection for a worker regression discontinuity (RD) study
  , leveraging applicant scoring data from KoBold to credibly estimate the causal impact of mine employment on household welfare.
• Conduct statistical analysis of panel and RD data using Stata, R, or Python, contributing to both academic outputs and policy‑facing publications.
• Engage with Zambian academic partners, local stakeholders, and international organizations to ensure policy relevance and dissemination.
• Contribute to grant writing, project administration, and dissemination activities, including presentations at conferences and workshops.
• Mentor a team of research associates, graduate students, and CEGA fellows (including a University of Zambia PhD/postdoc fellow based at Berkeley), providing technical guidance and support.

Required qualifications

• PhD in Economics, Political Science, Public Policy, Statistics, or a related field at the time of appointment.
• Strong training in applied econometrics and causal inference methods (e.g., difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, panel data methods).
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale field surveys, preferably in low- or middle-income countries.
• Proficiency in statistical software (Stata, R, or Python).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including ability to produce publications and translate technical findings for non-academic audiences.

Preferred qualifications

• Research experience in African economic development, natural resources, or labor markets.
• Familiarity with managing partnerships with implementing organizations (e.g., IPA, NGOs, government agencies).
• Record of academic publication in development economics, political economy, or related fields.
• Experience managing research teams and mentoring junior researchers.
• Capacity to work independently while contributing to a collaborative, multi-institution research team.
• Ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, local communities, and private sector partners.

This is a 1.5-year full-time position with possibility for extension pending funding. Starting annual salary for this position is set per the rates below and standard UC Berkeley postdoc benefits will be provided.

Submit a CV, cover letter, writing sample, PhD transcript, contact information for three professional references (at least 2 of which are academic).

Final date to receive applications: Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is reviewed.