PhD Student Position in Public Economics

PhD Student Position in Public Economics
100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The KOF Swiss Economic Instituteat the ETH Zurich is the leading institute for applied research in economics in Switzerland. KOF conducts well-founded and independent research on the Swiss and international economy. It addresses structural and economic policy issues with social relevance.

Job description

The PhD position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), through the project "The Economics of Inheritance and Inter-Vivos Gifts". The project is led by Dr. Isabel Z. Martínez at ETH and Prof. Marius Brülhart at University of Lausanne. Aurélien Eyquem (HEC Lausanne) and Enrico Rubolino (HEC Lausanne and CREST Paris) are further involved in the project as associated researchers.

The project will address questions regarding inheritance flows, inter-vivos gifts, bequest motives and taxation. You will be involved in all stages of research, from cleaning data to carrying out data analyses, visualizing results and drafting a final research paper.

The position will be based at KOF Institute at ETH Zurich. During the PhD, you will be well-integrated into the institutional activities and participate in regular team meetings. You will work closely with the project leaders and other team members. The goal is to produce high-quality research leading to academic publications. The position is intended for a duration of 4 years.

The optimal starting date for this position is September 2026.

Profile

As the ideal candidate for this position, you

• are excited about research that aims to solve real-world problems. You finished your degree with excellent grades. You have the potential to conduct high-quality research and pay attention to details. You care about having a positive impact with your research.
• are excellent at quantitative reasoning. You have a rigorous statistics training in causal inference, and a strong command of Stata. You understand what data can and cannot tell, and have a demonstrated interest in applied econometrics.
• have, at the time of appointment, completed a Master's degree in Economics. You have a strong interest in topics related to public economics, inequality, taxation, and labour economics.
• have excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills. You like to collaborate with others, have a compelling writing style in English, and like to use convincing visualizations to communicate statistical insights. While not a must, knowledge of German and / or French would be a significant advantage.

Furthermore, we aim to maintain and expand our diversity and thus, we encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply.

Workplace
Workplace
We offer

• Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits

We value diversity and sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• Cover letter that includes a short description of your research interests
• Curriculum vitae (no picture)
• Academic writing sample (e.g., Master thesis or term paper)
• Complete academic record with undergraduate and graduate courses and grades
• Copies of certificates
• Contact information for 2 potential referees

We will start reviewing applications after February 15th, 2026. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about the KOF Swiss Economic Institute can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to KOF HR Services (no applications).

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