Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department Agricultural Economics

Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate

Job Location College Station, Texas

Job Type Staff

Job Description

About Texas A&M AgriLife Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Click here to learn more about joining AgriLife!

Job Summary:

The Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr. Pourya Valizadeh and other AFPC researchers. Research topics include food security, nutrition security, hunger, and other domestic food policy issues, including the evaluation of food assistance programs. The work uses a variety of data sources, such as household survey data and large transaction-level data, with some survey design and data collection, and applies econometric and causal inference methods.

Responsibilities:

80%: Research

• Conducts research on food and nutrition security and hunger in the United States.
• Evaluates food assistance programs and food policies using applied econometric and causal inference methods.
• Cleans and analyzes large transaction-level data and household survey data.
• Designs survey instruments and prepares IRB applications for data collection.
• Writes and contributes to research papers and policy briefs.

5%: Mentoring

• May assist, mentor, and/or supervise student researchers and/or graduate students who are working on research related to the project.

5%: Presentations

• Prepares presentation materials on research topic that may be presented to small and/or large groups.
• Actively participates in the preparation of required technical progress reports to research sponsors.

10%: Ongoing Research and Professional Development

• Continues their own ongoing research, such as developing dissertation chapters into publications.
• Pursues professional development, such as attending workshops and building new skills.
• Collaborates with AFPC researchers and supports grant reports and proposals.

Required Education and Experience

• Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, completed by the start date.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Solid knowledge of U.S. domestic food policy.
• Proven experience in applied econometrics and causal inference.
• Experience analyzing large transaction-level data (e.g., Circana, NielsenIQ) or household survey data.
• Experience designing survey instruments and preparing IRB applications.
• Experience with national household survey data (e.g., NHANES, CPS Food Security Supplement, NHIS).
• Publications or papers under review in food policy or related fields.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge of Stata, R, or Python.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work well in a team and independently.

Other Requirements:

• Occasional work beyond normal business hours to meet grant and publication deadlines.
• Occasional travel to professional conferences and meetings with project partners.
• No physical lifting or outdoor work is required.

What You Need to Know Salary: $66,000-$71,000 annually, commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Position Funding:

• This position is funded through grants or contracts. Continued employment is dependent upon ongoing funding and satisfactory job performance.

Flexible Work Arrangements:

• This position requires on-site presence and is not eligible for remote work. Flexible work schedules may be available depending on the nature of the role.

Sponsorship:

This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.

Important Notice Regarding H1-B Sponsorship:

Your employment at Texas A&M AgriLife may require nonimmigrant sponsorship. A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Texas A&M AgriLife will NOT pay this fee. If the fee is imposed on your petition, this offer of employment will be revoked. If actions taken during your employment result in the imposition of this fee, your employment will be terminated. To the extent that this statement conflicts with any applicable System or member Policy, Regulation, or Rule, this statement will control. We recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense regarding potential implications.

In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbott issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if you will now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status this moratorium may affect our ability to employ you should you be selected as the final candidate.

Benefits and Leave:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance (AgriLife contributes to premiums)
• 12–15 annual paid holidays
• Up to 8 hours/month sick leave and at least 8 hours/month vacation
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative
• Access to ongoing professional development and training through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internally developed programs

How to Apply Applications must include all job application data or a complete resume. Incomplete applications may be rejected. Applicants are encouraged to upload a resume or use LinkedIn to prepopulate application fields.

Required Documents:

• CV / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 References
• Job Market Paper/Writing Sample
• Research Statement

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.