Job Description

The MIT Sloan School of Management and Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) in the Schwarzman School of Computing jointly seek to hire a Postdoctoral Associate, beginning in Summer 2025 to lead collaborative projects on generative AI and reasoning,

The appointment is for one year starting Summer 2025 (flexible start date), with the possibility of renewal for a second year. The Postdoctoral Associate should expect to work from Cambridge, MA for the duration of the appointment, with some potential for travel. The position is eligible for MIT benefits.

The selected candidate will provide supervision and guidance to students, and researchers while engaging in activities that support the general mission of MIT Sloan and SERC. The Postdoctoral Associate will also collaborate with other post docs, SERC scholars, and instructors.

About Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC)

The Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) is facilitating the development of responsible “habits of mind and action” for those who create and deploy computing technologies and foster the creation of technologies in the public interest. Through a teaching, research and engagement framework, SERC is working to train students, encourage research to assess the broad challenges and opportunities associated with computing, and improve design, policy, implementation, and impacts. For more details about this cross-cutting program, please see our website.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

The postdoc’s time will be allotted as such:

o50% towards ongoing and new applied research projects under the supervision of Professors Sertac Karaman and Eric So;

oApproximately 25% of time allotted for independent research.

oApproximately 20 of time allotted for participating in SERC's community-building activities and programming, including to lead a SERC Scholar Group throughout the academic year.

oAdditional responsibilities as determined by organizational needs.

Supervision Received:

The position works closely with Professors Sertac Karaman and Eric So. Position requires ability to perform with minimal supervision.

Supervision Exercised:

No direct reports. May monitor the academic work of research associates and graduate research assistants involved in specific projects.

Qualifications

1.A Ph.D. in Computer Science or other related field required.

2.Advanced quantitative methods training with expertise in experiments, identification, and causal inference required. Qualitative fieldwork experience is also preferred.

3.Proven record of academic excellence, research achievement and publication that contributes to the study of the above areas.

4.Attention to detail; self-motivation and ability to work on projects independently; proven ability to handle multiple projects concurrently and meet deadlines.

5.Demonstrated proficiency in Python and willingness to contribute to open-source.

Application Instructions

Please provide the following as compiled in one attachment:

1.Cover letter

2.CV

3.Research statement of primary research interests including ongoing and planned projects (3-5 pages)

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide three letters of reference.

Priority review will be given to application materials submitted through careers.mit.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. MIT’s full policy on Nondiscrimination can be found here

Background Check Policy

Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any findings of misconduct (or pending investigations) from prior employers.