Student Assistant at KOF Swiss Economic Institute in Zürich

The  Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich is the leading institute for applied research in economics in Switzerland.

KOF has a strong collaborative environment that promotes exchange between research and administrative staff across different levels and functions and is committed to rigorous, applied research on policy-relevant topics with a connection to Switzerland.

We are looking for individuals with a strong interest in research in applied economic topics (labour markets, public economics, political economy, macroeconomics), often related to policies in Switzerland, and a desire of getting a glimpse into rigorous applied research. Prior experience in handling and analysing data using statistical software packages such as STATA and/or R (and Python) is desired and a strong interest and drive in developing these skills is expected. Since many research tasks involve researching and summarizing media and government websites, policy reports and research papers in German and English (and sometimes French) and clarifying questions with local stakeholders, strong communication skills in these languages are desired.

Tasks typically include:

• Data cleaning and (descriptive) analysis using statistical software packages such as Stata, R, and/or Matlab
• Collecting data using web scrapers and data providers like Macrobond
• Coding in R or Matlab on data analysis and macroeconomic forecasting
• Programming surveys with Qualtrics
• Investigating relevant aspects of policies, regulations, and events in online (Swiss) media outlets and summarizing them in policy briefs
• Screening and summarizing the relevant literature for research questions
• Acquiring information from and coordinating with (Swiss) government offices or data providers 
• Supporting research staff in field research and data collection

You must be enrolled at a Swiss University and willing to work between 1 to 2 days per week (15h). At KOF, working time is typically handled very flexibly such that you can take time to study for exams or fulfil other obligations for your studies while coordinating with the research staff at KOF when tasks need to be completed. Ideally, we are looking for individuals who can stay employed as a student assistant for at least one year (e.g., while taking courses for their Bachelor's or Master's degree), possibly longer.

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.