Postdoctoral Fellow in Empirical Public Economics

About the position

The School of Economics and Business at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has one vacant postdoctoral position in public economics. The position is full-time for three years with no teaching obligations, but with the possibility of taking on teaching in exchange for extending the duration.

The position will be part of ongoing and planned projects at Skatteforsk - Center for Tax Research at NMBU. Skatteforsk is an independent research centre at the School of Economics and Business, financed by the Research Council of Norway.

Skatteforsk is led by Professor Annette Alstadsæter. The core group is based at NMBU and its international network includes the EU Tax Observatory, Centre for the Analysis of Taxation, Columbia University, University College Dublin, and more. This diverse, dynamic, and interdisciplinary group represents the forefront of tax research. By fostering an environment of direct interaction between established scholars and early-career researchers, its focus is on both producing cutting-edge scholarship and fostering the development of its members. Further, Skatteforsk brings together academics, policy makers, and journalists in order to provide the greatest societal impact from its research.

The centre is rapidly expanding with an active academic calendar that combines regular research seminars, international workshops, an annual conference, and frequent international research visits. It is also engaged in significant outreach to connect its activities to the needs of the broader public.

We now seek postdoctoral applicants with interests in one or more of the following topics:

• Real-world consequences of tax avoidance and evasion,
• Individual’s use of tax havens, illicit financial flows, and capital flight,
• Tax enforcement/policy in low- and middle-income countries.

Applicants should discuss their interest in and experience with these topics in their cover letter. In addition, applications must include a more detailed 2-3 page research proposal on one of these topics as well as examples of completed research relevant to the topics and public economics overall.

The postdoctoral fellow will join a research group with access to large, administrative data sets and prior experience with big data and administrative data will be advantageous. 

Main tasks

The main purpose of a postdoctoral position is to qualify for work in high-level scientific positions. 

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to contribute to ongoing and primarily empirical projects at Skatteforsk as well as start new projects within the centre’s remit and contribute to grant applications. The balance of time between new and ongoing projects will be discussed and agreed prior to hiring. 

The fellow is also expected to contribute to the centre and the school’s academic environment by attending seminars, making presentations both internally and externally, and engaging with the centre’s dissemination and outreach activities. 

Competence

Required academic qualifications: 

• A PhD degree within public economics or other relevant fields when there is a focus on taxation, completed the very latest by the end of 2025. 
• Fluency in spoken and written English. 
• Proficiency in Stata. 

Desired qualifications: 

• Previous research experience in public economics, preferably on tax issues. 
• Experience in working with large/administrative data sets. 
• Insights into the institutional structures of national tax systems and their implications for data availability and data quality. 
• Ability to find and utilise new data sources. 
• Proficiency in R, Latex, and other relevant software. 
• Proficiency in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Danish, or Swedish). 
• Relevant experiences in teaching. 

Required personal qualifications: 

• Excellent communication skills. 
• Ability to work independently and under time pressure. 
• Ability to contribute to a good atmosphere within the research group. 

Desired personal qualifications: 

• Experience with coordinating international teams working on data. 
• Experience with popular science dissemination of research insights. 
• Ability to develop research ideas at the research frontier. 

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1352 Postdoctoral Fellow, NOK 604.900-692.400), depending on qualifications. The position follows ordinary meriting regulations. 

For further information, please contact Professor Annette Alstadsæter. E-mail: annette.alstadsater@nmbu.no, Phone: +47 67231180 

general Information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: 15.03.2025

Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.

Up to ten publications selected by the applicant as most relevant must be attached to the application. If it is difficult to identify the contribution of the applicant in multiple-author publications, a short explanation about the applicant’s part of the work is suggested. 

Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within 15.03.2025. Please quote reference number 24/06282

Applicants invited for an interview will be asked to present verified copies of diplomas and certificates.

Please note that the report from the expert committee will be sent to all applicants.

About the School of Economics and Business

The School of Economics and Business is one of seven faculties at NMBU. Our mission is to create knowledge across the fields of economics and business administration, and to develop professionals and leaders who combine an economic mindset with multidisciplinary knowledge equipped to address real-world problems with sustainability as a guiding principle. The School of Economics and Business offers bachelor and master programmes in Business Administration and in Economics, a master programme in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Bioeconomy, and a PhD program in Economics and Business. These degree programmes have approximately 700 students. The School has 55 faculty and staff members and more than 40 PhD students. For more information, see www.nmbu.no/en/faculty/hh