The Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) in Wiesbaden
is looking for a Post-doctoral Researcher (f/m/d) for the research group “Education and Human Capital”
The Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) is a research institution at the intersection of research, politics and society. With around 85 employees, BiB is one of the most important centers for population research in Germany. The BiB is looking for a motivated Research Associate (PostDoc) to strengthen their research in the areas of education and early inequalities. The research and policy consulting activities of the “Education and Human Capital” research group focus, among other things, on how children can best develop their potential.
The position involves contributing to the scientific evaluation of the “Startchancen Program”, a comprehensive federal initiative aimed at supporting schools with a high proportion of socially disadvantaged students. A key goal of the program is to enhance students’ competencies and thereby contribute to greater equity in opportunities. The BiB is participating in the scientific evaluation as a member of an interdisciplinary consortium comprising multiple institutes and organizations.
Your responsibilities include:
- Designing and conducting empirical analyses to evaluate the impact of policy measures, particularly the Startchancen Program
- Analyzing various national survey datasets and administrative data sources using advanced quantitative and quasi-experimental methods
- Contributing to interim and final evaluation reports
- Presenting findings at national and international conferences and publishing research results in international peer-reviewed journals
- Supporting and advising the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, as well as other relevant departments.
- Collaborating closely and exchanging insights with consortium partners involved in the evaluation
What You Should Bring:
- A completed master’s degree or equivalent qualification (e.g., Magister, Dipl.-Uni) in economics, statistics, data science, educational sciences, sociology, or related fields
Additionally:
- A completed or near-completed doctoral degree
- Strong knowledge of and experience with quantitative methods in evaluation research (e.g., difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, event studies, and regression discontinuity designs)
- Solid expertise in the field of economics of education, sociology of education, and/or related areas
- Excellent understanding of the German school system and its structures
- Experience in processing complex survey and/or registry data, with proficiency in statistical software such as Stata or R
- Proven experience in writing academic papers in both German and English
- Good command of English, both written and spoken (minimum B2 level)
- For non-native German speakers, German language proficiency (minimum A1 level)
- Interest in policy consulting
- Strong ability to communicate complex issues in an accessible way
- Solution-oriented working style and strong teamwork skills
- Commitment and initiative
- Competence in gender issues
Application Deadline: 02 February 2025
Find more information here.