Researcher in Economics

This position offers a unique opportunity to work with experts from Masaryk University and other partner institutions on research projects related to labour market aspects of population ageing and/or social and regional peripheries. These projects explore a wide range of research topics covering discrimination, accessibility of healthcare and public services, and human and social capital effects and accumulation.  

We are looking for a candidate:

• with PhD degree or near completion of PhD. studies
• with education and experience in the field of empirical labour and/or regional/urban economics
• with research interest and demonstrated excellence in related fields
• with excellent background in empirical methods and interdisciplinary research interests
• solid knowledge of spatial econometrics is welcomed
• with research potential demonstrated by a strong job market paper or at least 1 peer-reviewed publication
• with fluency in English 
• who is a self-driven person
• who is able to define their own research agenda

 What does the position entail:

• full-time postdoctoral researcher in the field of empirical labour and/or regional/urban economics
• participation on a research project focused on population ageing and/or social and regional peripheries in a collaboration with a multidisciplinary research team
• peer-reviewed research and its presentation at international conferences
• contribution to the preparation of national and international grant proposals

What do we offer?

• full-time (40 hours a week) Postdoctoral Researcher position at one of the highest-ranked universities in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
• earliest starting date of the contract is the March 1st, 2025 or later upon mutual agreement.
• the monthly salary offer is based on seniority, ranging from 2,000-3,000 EUR/month (gross).
• fixed-term position for 12 + up to 36 months (up to December 31, 2028). The renewal is conditional on a successful performance review.
• relocation support and help from the MUNI  Welcome Office
• friendly and international working environment
• opportunities for professional growth (e.g., university seminar series, internships, exchanges, participation in research projects)
• flexible working hours and occasional home office to support personal needs in family and career
• employee benefits (6 weeks of paid vacation per year, contribution to meals, contribution to pension savings, language courses, exclusive mobile tariff, sport activities, vaccination)
• opportunity to work and live in a modern and dynamic university city with close proximity to Prague and Vienna

About the workplace

Masaryk University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 35,000 students and 5,500 employees.

MUNI is located in the university city of Brno, Czech Republic. Based on the most recent OECD Better Life Index data, the Czech Republic ranks next to the US and the UK. Proximity to nature and other historical cities (e.g., Prague, Vienna, Budapest), variety of cultural and entertainment attractions, and top personal safety make Brno one of the top 100 university cities in the world according to students.

The members of The Health Economics, Policy and Innovation Institute at ECON MUNI conduct quality research with peers from other Czech, European, and American universities. Members of the faculty have published in journals such as  Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Scientific Reports, European Economic Review or Public Choice. The administrative staff is experienced in helping researchers with both national and international grant applications.

Application and selection procedure

The application shall be submitted online by January 31, 2025 (11:59 p.m., CET) via an e-application (Please, use the link in the e-Application section below). Interviews for the position will be held online or in-person at Masaryk University. Online and in-person interviews may be scheduled on a rolling basis and early applications are encouraged.

The candidate shall provide following:

• cover letter with a description of your research agenda in the desired area,
• a full professional Curriculum Vitae including the complete bibliography of published works (or provide a link where the information could be found),
• job market paper and/or up to two other research papers,
• names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of 3 references; references will be contacted independently to submit reference letters

After submitting your application successfully, you will receive an automatic confirmation e-mail from jobs.muni.cz.

For further information about the position and the department, please contact Štěpán Mikula, at stepan.mikula@econ.muni.cz  Please do not send applications directly by e-mail.

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact the head of HR department Jana Levá, e-mail: jana.leva@econ.muni.cz

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply regardless of personal background. The selection process is based on an Open Transparent Merit-based Recruitment Policy. Masaryk University does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation. The faculty holds the HR Excellence Award.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D.

Dean