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Centre for Economic Performance (CEP)
Research Assistant (“Pre-Doc”)
Salary from £36,513 to £41,565 pa inclusive of London allowance
This is a fixed term appointment for one or two years depending on the preferences of the candidate
The Centre for Economic Performance seeks to appoint one or two full-time research assistants (“pre-docs”) under the direction of Professor Daniel Sturm, Dr. Sara Bagagli, and Dr. Giorgio Pietrabissa. You will be part of a team including other research assistants and collaborators. Research projects will explore new aspects of the economics of cities using newly developed quantitative models and data from Denmark and other countries.
The position is ideal for someone who is considering applying to a PhD in Economics or related fields and would like hands-on research experience before embarking on a PhD. Previous holders of similar posts with Daniel Sturm have been offered positions in leading Economics PhD programs, including Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, San Diego, LSE, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale.
The successful candidate has an undergraduate or master’s degree in economics or another quantitative discipline by post start date. Other essential criteria include: Advanced experience of using programming languages such as STATA and R for analysing large scale micro data sets and the ability to learn new programming skills; Ability to perform data work requiring great accuracy and attention to detail; Ability to interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data and think through economic problems analytically; Ability to work independently, without close supervision; Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable criteria include experience of working with ArcGIS or QGIS; knowledge of and interest in urban economics, economic geography and applied microeconomics; and experience of execution and write up of independent research projects such as an undergraduate or masters’ thesis.
The start date will be agreed with the successful candidate depending on their constraints but should be in the summer or early fall of 2026.
For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification .
For candidates who do not already have the right to work in the UK, LSE is able to support the visa application. Applications must include a CV and a covering letter that explains the candidate’s qualification and motivation for the position. Please also include scans of all university transcripts. Referees will only be contacted if your application progresses to the final stages of the selection process.
Candidates who are shortlisted for the position will be given an online coding and data analysis problem that can be completed either in STATA of R to assess their suitability for the position. The interviews will be in person where possible and on Zoom otherwise.
If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email Daniel Sturm at d.m.sturm@lse.ac.uk .
The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 30 January 2026 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.