Post Doctoral Associate -Rural Economic Resilience & Food Systems

Position Details

Advertising/Posting Title Post Doctoral Associate - Rural Economic Resilience & Food Systems Posting Summary

The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct applied economic and community-engaged research jointly supporting two related research programs under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Van Leuven. Approximately 60% of the position’s effort will support an NSF EPSCoR project focused on rural climate resilience, which examines how severe weather, extreme heat, and harmful algal blooms affect rural labor markets, downtown business activity, and recreation economies.

The remaining 40% will support UVM Food Systems Research Institute-funded work examining climate effects on rural food business dynamics (e.g., restaurant and grocery entries and exits) and rural food systems infrastructure, building on ongoing FSRI-supported research.

The postdoc will help with leading in-person and virtual interviews with New England business owners, municipal officials, and consumers; conducting causal-inference analysis of high-frequency foot-traffic, consumer-spending, and satellite-derived environmental data; and contributing to manuscript preparation, presentations, and public-facing outputs.

Applications will close October 31, 2026.

Questions? Contact Dr. Andrew Van Leuven leuven.

• PhD completed by the January 1, 2027 start date in economics, applied/agricultural economics, regional science, public policy, or a closely related quantitative social science field
• Demonstrated quantitative/econometric skills, ideally including causal inference or panel-data methods
• Programming proficiency in R, Python, and/or Stata
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across institutions

• Research experience or strong interest in rural economic development, climate resilience, and/or food systems
• Experience conducting qualitative or community-engaged interviews
• Data visualization and GIS skills
• Familiarity with high-frequency mobility/spending data (e.g., Advan, Safe Graph) or satellite-derived environmental data

$63,480 - $63,900

Hybrid and remote candidates will be considered; the search will not be limited to candidates already based in Burlington. At minimum, the postdoc must be able to travel to Burlington, VT at least four times during the year for team meetings, plus additional periodic travel across New England for interview-based fieldwork. Candidates able to work in person at UVM on a more regular basis (i.e., within driving or transit distance) are preferred, all else equal.

This position is expected to be able to begin work from an approved work location, within the United States, on January 1, 2027.

Special Conditions Contingent on continued funding, Travel to and from worksites required, This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule with an option to split time between campus and elsewhere, in accordance with the university telecommuting policy, Background Check required for this position FLSA Exempt Union Position No

Position will be posted for a minimum of one week, after which it is subject to removal without notice.

Job Location Burlington, Vermont, United States

Job Open Date 08/20/2026

Job Close Date (Jobs close at 11:59 PM EST.) Open Until Filled No

The University of Vermont is a welcoming, educationally purposeful community committed to creating an inclusive environment that embraces intellectual diversity and global perspectives. We seek to prepare students to be accountable leaders who will bring to their work a grasp of complexity, effective problem-solving and communication skills, and an enduring commitment to learning and ethical conduct. Members of the University of Vermont community embrace and advance the values of Our Common Ground:
Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice, and Responsibility. Staff play a critical role in this effort and the successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to UVM’s mission and advancing Our Common Ground values through the execution of their job duties.

Position Title Post Doctoral Associate

Posting Number S6266PO

Department Com Dev & Applied Economics/51040

Position Number

Percent of Full-Time 1.0

Standard Hours at 1.0 FTE 37.5 Term (months per year) 12

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• Please specify here where applicable. Enter "NA" if not applicable. (Open Ended Question)
• How did you hear about this employment opportunity?

• Chronicle of Higher Education
• Higher Ed Jobs
• Inside Higher Ed
• Linked In
• Seven Days
• UVM Employee (Please specify below)
• UVM Employment Web Site
• Vermont Job Link (Department of Labor)
• Other (Please specify below)