Postdoctoral Scholar, Criminal Justice Research Center

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Criminal Justice Research Center (CJRC) and Department of Sociology and Criminology at The Pennsylvania State University invite applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar position to begin in the Fall of 2026, with flexibility.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

Applicants are encouraged from both current Ph.D. candidates and scholars who have completed the Ph.D. within the past two years. Note that an earned doctorate in the social or behavioral sciences by the time of appointment is required.

Preference will be given to candidates with advanced training in statistics, experience working with large administrative datasets, and/or an exemplary interest in applied research, and to those with research interests in prosecution, pretrial, courts or sentencing and with a knowledge of, or practical experience with Stata, multilevel modeling, decomposition analysis, and/or semi-structured interviews.

• Collaborate with faculty across multiple universities.
• Descriptive and multilevel analysis.
• Perform site visits and conduct interviews with stakeholders.
• Prepare local summary briefs and policy outreach.
• Assist in data collection and data management.
• Prepare grant proposals, manuscripts, and conference presentations.
• Participate in graduate student mentoring.
• Conduct independent research related to pretrial, prosecution, and sentencing.

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full‑time employees designed to support both personal and professional well‑being.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact .