Job Description and Qualification
The Department of Economics and Finance (DEF) at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) invites applications for a post-doctoral research position in Economics, offered for up to 4 years. The position has an initial two-year term, renewable for one additional term.
The position is open to candidates with strong theoretical and/or applied research interests in any field of economics, with particular consideration given to Development Economics. Applicants must have been awarded, or be close to completing, a Ph.D. in Economics by the end of Summer 2026.
Candidates should demonstrate:
a) an excellent research record and/or clear potential to publish in leading academic journals;
b) the ability and motivation to contribute to the design and implementation of internationally competitive research projects;
c) proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Italian is not required but it would be a plus.
Duties and Responsibilities
Teaching load: no teaching is required for this position.
Research activities: producing high quality research with potential for publication in top journals in Economics. The successful candidate is expected to seek and participate in internationally competitive research projects.
Departmental support: actively participate into departmental and institutional activities.
Term
After two years in the position, the researcher's achievements will be assessed by an internal evaluation committee. Conditional on obtaining a positive evaluation, the contract will be renewed for two more years, for one time only.
Salary Range
The salary is about 36.000€ (pre-taxes). Net amount after taxes depends on total personal income and on household composition. Individuals being tax residents outside of Italy, regardless of their nationality, may be eligible for substantial tax exemptions on their income. For more information, please refer to the Italian tax authority document on "Tax incentives for attracting human capital in Italy".
Research funding will be increasing in the researcher’s productivity and publication record.
About UCSC and DEF
UCSC is well-known for a multidisciplinary educational approach, along with an excellent international network. It is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious Italian universities. In the subject of Economics and Econometrics, UCSC ranks in the top 250 universities in the world according to QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2025.
DEF promotes and coordinates research in all fields of Economics and Finance. DEF goal is to foster high-quality research with a relevant policy impact, promoting an international academic environment. Most of the department members are publishing intensively on leading economic journals. Some among them are also columnists for major financial newspapers and involved in consulting activities for governmental commissions and national and international agencies. According to the most recent recent Repec rankings, DEF is one of the best economic institutions in Italy and among the top 5% economic institutions in Europe. Currently, DEF stands on a faculty of 46 members (18 full professors, 12 associate professors, 12 assistant professors, and 4 post-doc).
Being employed at UCSC
UCSC requires all those who are part of the University community to be fully compliant with its general vision and mission, as detailed in the University’s code of ethics and Statute.
Application procedure
To express interest, log in and choose your Applicant role (or if you have no account, create one).
Candidates are required to apply by November 30, 2025.
The pre-screening of applications will begin immediately thereafter.
Successful candidates will be notified by December 12, 2025, at the latest.
Interviews will be conducted online during the EJME, December 15-18, 2025.
Short-listed candidates will be invited to give a seminar at UCSC between late January and early March 2026.
Top candidates will be notified by mid-March 2026.
As required by the Italian law, the position will be publicly announced on the Italian official journal (Gazzetta Ufficiale) in Spring 2026. The top candidate(s) will be invited to participate in a public competition (Concorso), which is open to all interested candidates regardless of their participation in the job market, and it is expected to be completed within six months of its announcement.
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Job market paper
- Research statement
- Letters of reference: 2