The Department of Economics is seeking to appoint a Research Assistant to assist Dr Nikhil Datta and Dr Amrita Kulka in the successful execution of their Nuffield-Foundation-funded Big Data project “Towards housing affordability: local supply drivers and optimal policy” (project page here).
In the face of plummeting housing affordability in the UK, the overall project examines various factors of the UK housing delivery system that may drive housing prices, ultimately seeking to answer what the optimal policy design would be to improve housing affordability across the UK. Sub-projects will focus on the role of market power among developers and landlords in contributing to poor housing affordability as well as the extent to which different planning regulations and conditions contribute to the lack of new housing supply and housing affordability. For further details, please check the lead researchers’ websites and project webpage, or reach out to them with questions via email.
The role will primarily involve quantitative analysis of our newly constructed data on planning documents combined with data on housing construction, search and price information, and other data that vary depending on the focus of a given sub-project. You will also be learning how to work with Big Data, with billions of observations, through cleaning, processing, and validation, as well as combining data from various sources. Additionally, you will contribute to preparing presentations for a variety of audiences (academic to policy-oriented) and drafting academic research papers.
We require an individual who has an interest in the research area, who is pro-active and willing to work as part of a team. The Research Assistant will be expected to assist with the construction, cleaning, manipulating and analysis of Big Data. They will also conduct reviews of existing literature, datasets, and policy documents and work closely with Dr Kulka and Dr Datta throughout to disseminate project outcomes and draft presentations, reports, and academic papers.
You will have completed a masters degree in Economics by the start date. In exceptional cases we might consider a candidate with a completed bachelors degree.
This job includes a variety of tasks providing excellent preparation for doctoral programs in applied economics, a career in quantitative analysis of public policies, or a data science position in industry.
The start date is flexible, and the contract will be for 18 months with scope of extension.
The Department of Economics has become widely regarded as one of the top economics departments in the UK and Europe. We consistently rank highly in leading UK and international subject league tables and are currently ranked 1st in the Good University Guide 2026. The Department provides a lively teaching and research environment and has recently been ranked 2nd in the Research Excellence Framework (2021). The department has a large MSc cohort and a highly reputable MRes-PhD programme. The appointed candidate will have the chance to interact with PhD students, postdocs and faculty in the department. The University of Warwick offers a whole host of training opportunities both internally and externally. There will be significant opportunity for the successful candidate to learn new skills.For further information about the Economics Department, please visit our website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/
To apply, please complete the following two stages:
1. Apply through EconJobMarket.org. To receive full consideration;, this application should be submitted by 18th January 2026 (midnight GMT). Please submit a cover letter and CV. Letters of reference will be requested at offer stage.
2. Complete a Warwick University application form (by selecting 'Apply' at the bottom of the webpage) link to the University of Warwick advert webpage https://warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/user-11595/xf-149d8cc9fdf4/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/3624-Research-Assistant-Economics-111136-1225/en-GB. This is a short form and should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. Please do not include your CV or academic references with this application.
For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification of the job description under the Warwick advert page.
Please make sure to complete both parts of the application process.
Application deadline for full consideration: 18th January 2026 (midnight GMT)
In the week prior to the interview, the selected candidates will be given a coding test.
Coding Test Date: week commencing 26 January 2026
Interview Date: week commencing 2 February 2026
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae