Postdoctoral position in Macroeconomics

The Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for a Postdoctoral position in macroeconomics starting in summer 2022. The position is for two years, and is fully funded by the research project “I-HANK: The International Heterogeneous-Agent New Keynesian Model”.

The Research Project
Applications are invited for a two-year fully funded Postdoc position (with no teaching obligations) at the Department of Economics, UCPH, in connection with the project “I-HANK: The International Heterogeneous-Agent New Keynesian Model”. The overarching aim of the project is to provide the theoretical and empirical foundations of an International Heterogeneous-Agent New Keynesian macroeconomic model (I-HANK), and to assess the model’s implications for the degree of business-cycle co-movement across countries. The project has two main components; a theoretical and an empirical part. The empirical component seeks to extend the current knowledge of the international co-movement of business cycles by collecting and analyzing new data on how disaggregated and distributional business-cycle statistics are connected across countries. The theoretical component focuses directly on the development of the new I-HANK model.

We are looking for an excellent candidate with a strong background in macroeconomics, more specifically in the subfields of heterogeneous-agent models and/or open-economy macroeconomics. We invite applications both from empirically oriented candidates as well as candidates with a more theoretical or computational background. Candidates are expected to have recently completed, or be close to completing, their doctoral studies in one of the topics indicated above. The Postdoc position is part of a larger project financed by a Young Researcher grant from the Carlsberg Foundation. The Postdoc will join a team of three researchers (Søren Hove Ravn, Laura Sunder-Plassmann, and Jeppe Druedahl) and two PhD students at the UCPH and additional international collaborators. The Postdoc is expected to contribute to joint projects with other team members, but will also have ample space for independent work. Further information about the research project can be found here:

https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/en/Forskningsaktiviteter/Bevillingsstatistik/Bevillingsoversigt/CF20_0546_Soeren-Hove-Ravn .

If you have any questions, please contact Associate Professor and principal investigator (PI) Søren Hove Ravn ([email protected] - www.sorenhoveravn.com ).

Duties, Responsibilities, and Opportunities
The primary responsibility of the Postdoc is to conduct research in macroeconomics. The Postdoc will be expected to make contributions to the project’s overall research agenda by processing and analyzing empirical datasets and/or by developing and solving theoretical models. This will occur as a collaborator and co-author with the other project participants. A key aim of the Postdoc position, however, is also to help candidates develop and improve their independent research profile and serve as a stepping stone for a future position as Assistant Professor (or similar) at an international research institution. During the two years, the Postdoc will therefore also have significant time available to work independently on their other existing research projects, and to develop new projects of their own within the overall research agenda of the I-HANK project.

Your Competences
The candidate must have obtained a PhD degree in Economics or a closely related field before taking up the Postdoc position (employment is expected to begin on September 1, 2022, but this date can be negotiated). In addition, the following competences are viewed as a plus (but not a necessity):

• Previous experience working with heterogeneous-agent models.
• Previous experience with large datasets and/or administrative data sources.
• Familiarity with the literature on open-economy macroeconomics and business cycles.

Candidates possessing these competences should make sure to highlight this in their application.

The Environment
The Department of Economics at the University of Copenhagen offers a stimulating research environment. The Department has an established strategy of being an elite economics department in Europe. This is reflected in the rapid growth and track record of top publications of its faculty. See more at https://econ.ku.dk/ or read the department’s strategy here:

https://www.economics.ku.dk/department/reportsplans/M_l-_og_handleplan_OI_final.pdf

The department is located in central Copenhagen. The international nature of Copenhagen and the high English-language proficiency makes it an easy and attractive city to live in for candidates coming from abroad.

The Department of Economics is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. The Faculty is a successful academic community that strives to put knowledge into action by:

• Engaging partners in the co-creation of knowledge, learning and social change.
• Empowering our students to become reflective and responsible citizens who have the vision, the knowledge and the competences to change society for the better.
• Energizing global, European, and Danish communities of knowledge by innovating research methodologies and by research findings with impact

For more on the Faculty strategy, see: https://samf.ku.dk/fakultetet/strategi/ .

Terms of Employment
Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2019 here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf

• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at DKK 30,426.37 per month + a 17.1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see: https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, Mette Christensen, e-mail: [email protected] , please refer to ID number: 211-0911/21-2I.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Søren Hove Ravn via e-mail: [email protected]

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Application, including reasons for applying for this position (max. 2 pages).
• Curriculum vitae, including list of publications / working papers.
• Publications / working papers to be considered (a maximium of 5 may be enclosed).
• Diplomas – all relevant certificates.

The closing date for applications is 25 November 2021, 23:59 CET.

Applications or material received thereafter will not be considered. Virtual job interviews will take place during the European Job Market for Economists (December 15 to 18) or by appointment.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.