Job Description

Department of Economics

Predoctoral Fellow under Supervision of Professor Thomas Graeber 70 %

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Start of employment flexible between June and September 2026, temporary

Predoctoral Fellow under Supervision of Professor Thomas Graeber

Behavioral & Experimental Economics, Economic Applications of Artificial Intelligence



The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in developing cutting-edge research, collaborating with Professor Graeber and his co-author network at Harvard and throughout Europe. His current and planned empirical research investigates how complexity influences behavior in real-world applications including finance, consumer choice, and political behavior. The work heavily relies on online and field experiments, analysis of natural language data, and AI applications such as synthetic experiments with LLM agents.

Your responsibilities

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All tasks involve data and require strong quantitative reasoning skills.

The pre-doc's duties include a selection of the below:Analyzing survey, observational, textual and speech data. Designing and implementing choice experiments. Artificial intelligence applications, such as synthetic experiments using LLM techniques. Contributing to the development of theoretical frameworks for behavioral phenomona.

Your profile

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Bachelor's or Master's degree in economics, statistics, computer science, mathematics, quantitative sciences, or a related field. Applicants from outside the EU/EFTA should have at minimum a master's degree.Strong programming skills (Python is required; some knowledge of R or Stata desirable). Strong project management and communication skills in spoken and written English. Some Experience with natural language processing, large language models or other machine-learning experience desirable (but not required). Prior experience as research assistant desirable

What we offer

Join a dynamic international research team and the Zurich predoc program.Opportunities to acquire skills necessary to conduct independent research. Support during your PhD application process or non-academic job search. A competitive salary in line with University of Zurich standards.

Information on your application

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Application:

Please submit your application (including cover letter, CV, transcript of grades, contact details for at least one reference). Applications will be reviewed as they are received and we welcome applications until positions are filled.

Job start:

This position has a flexible start date between June and September 2026. The appointment will be for one year and may be extended by one additional year.

Further Information:

Thomas Graeber is is NOMIS Professor of Cognitive and Neuroeconomics at University of Zurich and the Director of the NOMIS Center for the Cognitive Foundations of Economics.

What we offer

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Work-Life Balance

Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing) Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

Learning and Development

Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ Free seasonal flu vaccinations Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions Special conditions on hotel reservations

Conditions of Employment

Policies of the UZH Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

Location

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Department of Economics

Blumlisalpstrasse 10, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland

Further information

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Questions about the job

Thomas Graeber

Professor

Working at UZH

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The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!