Job Title:  Postdoctoral Researcher - Social Responsibility in Markets and Beyond (f/m/d)

Important Note: Applications will only be accepted on EconJobMarket. 

The Department of Economics of the Central European University (CEU) invites applications for the position of a Postdoctoral Researcher for the duration of two years (extension may be possible).

We are looking for an outstanding postdoctoral researcher to join our project on “Social Responsibility in Markets and Beyond.” In this project, we will combine behavioral economic theory, experiments, and survey data to study the potential role of socially responsible individuals in markets as well as in collective decisions more generally. We will theoretically investigate the impact of individuals on socially relevant equilibrium outcomes – such as externalities – different types of socially responsible preferences, and how both of these affect individual actions; and we will explore empirically via surveys and experiments what impact individuals believe they have, what determines these beliefs, and identify individuals’ moral preferences or views, and measure how these affect their actual behaviors. The positions will be based at the Department of Economics at Central European University for the duration of two years.

The position will start August 1, 2026 or possibly earlier. The Principal Investigator for this project is Marc Kaufmann. On the theory side, the work is joint with Botond Kőszegi, while the empirical work partially overlaps with other researchers studying (mis)beliefs in economics, including Maite Deambrosi, Christoph Drobner, and Adam Szeidl.

Qualifications

• Completed or are close to obtaining a PhD in economics or a related field. 
• Expertise and research background in either behavioral economic theory or experimental economics including lab, field, or online experiments.
• Experience with or interest in text analysis / machine learning / use of GenAI tools in research an advantage but not required.
• Evidence of the capacity to prepare excellent publications.
• Commitment to high quality research. 
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Effective written and verbal communication and time management skills.
• Fluency in English.

What to Expect 

• You will conduct innovative and high-quality research on social responsibility broadly defined and (mis)beliefs in social questions.
• You will have a central role in all aspects of the research process, from model building and/or experiments to the drafting and publishing of academic papers.
• You will be part of a department that regularly delivers high-impact research published in top international academic journals.
• You will have time dedicated to advancing your own research agenda.
• You are encouraged to contribute to the overall activities of the Department and attend seminars.
• You will be encouraged to gain experience in the supervision of research assistants and students.
• The position is based in Vienna and requires regular presence at the department.

What CEU Offers

We offer a competitive yearly gross salary of about EUR 68,000, as well as other benefits including pension plan, meal vouchers, in-house health and well-being benefits, and professional development opportunities.

How to Apply

Applications should include a cover letter, two letters of reference, a curriculum vitae, and a published or unpublished research paper.

Applications should be submitted through the econjobmarket.org website: EJM - Econ Job Market.

Review of applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

For further information about this position, please contact Judit Lafferthon (lafferthonj@ceu.edu).

CEU is strongly committed to the promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities within our institution. Previous training, work experience and/or engagement with matters of equality, diversity and inclusion at the organizational level will be an asset. Central European University does not discriminate on the basis of—including, but not limited to—race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender and sexual orientation in administering its educational policies, admissions policies, employment, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

CEU is an equal opportunity employer and values geographical and gender diversity, thus encouraging applications from women and/or other underrepresented groups. Since CEU strives to increase the share of women in professorial positions, given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female applicants. CEU recognizes that personal and family circumstances shape the trajectory of one’s career and working patterns. As such, and in line with CEU’s promotion of Equal Opportunities, we encourage applicants to detail periods of leave, part-time work or other such situations in their applications so that the Search Committee is able to assess an applicant’s academic record fairly in the context of their circumstances. Any declaration of personal and family circumstances is voluntary and will be handled confidentially and only considered in so far as it impacts on the academic career of an applicant.

About CEU

One of the world’s most international universities, a unique founding mission positions Central European University as both an acclaimed center for the study of economic, historical, social and political challenges, and a source of support for building open and democratic societies that respect human rights and human dignity. CEU is accredited in the United States and Austria, and offers English-language bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in the social sciences, the humanities, law, environmental sciences, management and public policy. CEU enrolls more than 1,400 students from over 100 countries, with faculty from over 50 countries.

In 2019, CEU relocated from Hungary to Austria as the Hungarian government revoked its ability to issue US-accredited degrees in the country. As a result, CEU offers all of its degree programs in Vienna, Austria; and retains a non-degree, research and civic engagement presence in Budapest, Hungary, through its CEU Democracy Institute, the Institute for Advanced Study, the CEU Summer University and The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA), and its Hungarian language public educational programs and public lectures.

For more information, please visit https://www.ceu.edu/.