Research Assistant

Organisation/Company CUNEF Universidad Department Economics Research Field Economics » Applied economics Economics » Economic theory Economics » Political economy Economics » Economic policy Researcher Profile Other Profession Positions Master Positions Final date to receive applications 31 May 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 15 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Located in central Madrid, CUNEF offers a dynamic, international, and research-oriented environment. Research Assistant positions are linked to competitive research projects funded by institutions including the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Community of Madrid, la Caixa Foundation, the Ramón Areces Foundation, and the Instituto Español de Banca y Finanzas (IEBF).

Research Areas: Depending on the project assigned, research topics may include inequality, public economics, labor economics, education, game theory, political economy, banking and finance, and the history of political economy. Familiarity with numerical methods and numerical solution of dynamic optimization problems is a requirement for some projects.

Responsibilities include (but may not be limited to):

• Data cleaning and analysis
• Producing regression tables and graphs
• Conducting literature reviews
• Preparing slides for academic presentations

What We Offer: Research Assistants become full participants in the life of the department, with access to all research activities including seminars, workshops, and reading groups. You will learn firsthand how economics research works, with close guidance from our faculty.

We strongly encourage our RAs to pursue a PhD in Economics after completing the position and provide hands‑on support throughout the application process. Beyond formal supervision, our faculty have a strong and verifiable track record of mentoring research assistants and supporting their transition into highly competitive academic and research positions worldwide. Recent RAs have placed into top‑tier master's programs (including the LSE), leading research institutes (the EU Tax Observatory at the Paris School of Economics, MIT Economics, Bocconi's SUR Lab, and Inter‑American Development Bank), and PhD programs at institutions such as Universitat Pompeu Fabra, with concurrent offers from the European University Institute and the University of Basel.

Terms of Employment These are full‑time, on‑site positions based in Madrid. Duration is limited to 11 months. Compensation is competitive within the research assistant market. Candidates may start no later than September 2026; earlier start dates on a part‑time basis can be arranged.

CUNEF is committed to equal opportunities. All candidates will be evaluated strictly on merit and abilities.

Interested individuals are invited to submit the following:

• A cover letter. Preferences regarding the research lines described above may be stated in this letter.
• The names and contact details of two potential academic references. Reference writers will only be contacted in the second stage of the recruitment process.
• Transcript of grades (optional). We will particularly value high grades in programming, econometrics and economic theory courses.

For further information or queries regarding this position, please contact Pedro Salas‑Rojo (pedro.salas ).

• Master's degree in economics or a related field (completed or near completion), with a strong academic record.
• Advanced knowledge of Stata preferred; R, Python, or Julia are a plus.
• Fluency in English.
• Strong motivation for economics research.

Responsibilities include (but may not be limited to):

• Data cleaning and analysis
• Producing regression tables and graphs
• Conducting literature reviews
• Preparing slides for academic presentations

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

These are full‑time, on‑site positions based in Madrid. Duration is limited to 11 months. Compensation is competitive within the research assistant market. Candidates may start no later than September 2026; earlier start dates on a part‑time basis can be arranged.

Eligibility criteria

CUNEF is committed to equal opportunities. All candidates will be evaluated strictly on merit and abilities.