Predoc Finance Research Associate

University of Pennsylvania; United States; On-site; USD 56,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition benefits

Retirement benefits

Flexible work hours

Adoption assistance

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is seeking a pre-doctoral Research Associate to support quantitative research in financial economics. You will work closely with Finance Professors and participate in Wharton’s research community to advance monetary policy, FinTech, data economy, and wealth inequality research.

The role involves managing large datasets, performing statistical analyses with Stata/R/Python, and leveraging Penn's HPC resources.

Qualifications

• BA/BS or equivalent in Economics, Finance, Business, Public Policy, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related discipline.
• Independent research experience such as undergraduate research assistantships or thesis research.
• Proficiency in using statistical software such as Stata, R, or Python. Additional coding skills would be valued but not required.
• Experience working with AI and agentic coding tools (e.g. ChatGPT and Claude; Codex and Claude Code), in addition to strong programming knowledge without reliance on these tools.
• The ability to analyze data, create visualizations, and write reports.
• Intrinsic motivation and the capacity to manage work independently.
• A passionate mindset about economic research and quantitative data analysis with the intention of pursuing an economics or finance PhD.

Responsibilities

• Manage and analyze large, complex datasets to support research projects in finance and economics.
• This work will involve statistical analysis using Stata, R and Python; HPC resources; and AI/agentic coding tools.
• Review relevant academic literature and policy developments; develop presentation materials; and prepare research papers for submission to top journals.
• Collaborate with Finance Professors and participate in Wharton research community, seminars, and graduate classes.

Skills

Stats software

Stata

R

Python

AI tools

Data analysis

Visualization

Independent work

Economics/Finance PhD intent

Education

BA/BS in Economics or related

Tools

AI & agentic coding tools (ChatGPT, Claude)

Job description

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is seeking a pre-doctoral Research Associate to support quantitative research in financial economics. You will work closely with Finance Professors and participate in Wharton’s research community to advance monetary policy, FinTech, data economy, and wealth inequality research.

The role involves managing large datasets, performing statistical analyses with Stata/R/Python, and leveraging Penn's HPC resources.