Research Assistant (CAGE) (111746-0626)

Informal Queries

• For informal queries about the role, please contact Amrita Kulka (Assistant Professor) at Amrita.Kulka@warwick.ac.uk.

CAGE is an established research centre based in the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, and has recently been awarded £7.1 million by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to continue its research programme for the next five years

Project: UK Housing and Planning System

The Co-leaders of this project are Dr Nikhil Datta and Dr Amrita Kulka, both assistant professors at the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, undertaking research to generate rigorous quantitative evidence related to planning in the UK, develop policy recommendations, and communicate findings transparently to policy, media and civil society stakeholders. In the face of plummeting housing affordability in the UK, the overall project examines several dimensions of the UK housing and planning system, with several sub-projects addressing different policy-relevant questions.

As a Research Assistant, you will undertake research to contribute to and support the work of Dr Datta and Dr Kulka.

This job includes a variety of tasks providing excellent preparation for doctoral programmes in applied economics or a career in quantitative analysis of public policies. 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 from a housing search platform, banking and credit card data, 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 through cleaning, processing, and validation, as well as combining data from various sources. Additionally, you will contribute to developing research designs, 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.

For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description attached as a PDF below.

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. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, which assesses the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, 99% of the Department’s research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent - placing us 2nd in the UK for economics.

For further information about the Economics Department, please visit our website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/

We are a world-leading research-intensive university founded in 1965. We are ranked 74th in the world and 9th in the UK.* Additionally, 92% of our research is rated world-leading or internationally excellent.**

Find out more about us at warwick.ac.uk/about/.

* World University Ranking 2026, Complete University Guide 2026

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

Closing Deadline: Sunday 12 July 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)

To apply, please click APPLY below and submit an application form by the closing deadline. You will be asked to include two attachments:

• CV
• Cover Letter

These should:

• Outline employment and education history (including your most recent employment).
• Demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria in the Job Description using clear examples.

Please ensure your application clearly evidences the essential criteria, as the hiring panel may not be able to shortlist your application if these are not demonstrated.**

• Interview Date: Week Commencing 3rd August 2026
• Start Date: 15th August 2026

In the week before the interview, the selected candidates will be given a coding test.

• Test Date: Week Commencing 20th July 2026

Coding Test Date: week commencing 20th July 2026

* Applications must be submitted through the warwick-careers.tal.net portal before the closing deadline. We recommend completing your application form in good time, as the advert will automatically close at the deadline.

** You are welcome to include any career breaks, such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, or long-term sickness absence. For guidance on how to format a cover letter, see here.

We provide a comprehensive range of benefits, including:

• An attractive pension scheme.
• 26 days holiday plus University Christmas closure.
• Generous parental/adoption leave policy.
• Onsite childcare facilities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer access to flexible working arrangements. Find out more about our flexible working arrangements.

We are proud to be a Living Wage employer.