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Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Established in 1985 by Frank Hawkins Kenan, the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise is a nonpartisan business policy think tank affiliated with the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. The nonprofit institute and its affiliated centers convene leaders from the private sector, academic community and government to build a greater understanding of how entrepreneurship, economic development and global commerce can work for the public good. The institute leverages best-in-class research to develop market-based solutions to today’s most complex economic challenges. In doing so, the institute aims to support businesses and policies that better the lives of people in North Carolina, across the country and around the world.
Position Summary
The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise seeks a Research Associate Professor or Research Professor with expertise in applied economics, economic forecasting, regional economics, labor economics, public policy, or related fields to contribute to the North Carolina Advanced Economic Forecasting Initiative (the Initiative). The faculty member will provide intellectual leadership in economic forecasting methodologies, applied economic research, and public-facing analysis for North Carolina. Responsibilities include conducting and disseminating research, developing forecasts and analytical products, communicating findings to academic, business, government, and community audiences, and contributing to the Institute’s mission of translating research into actionable insights. The successful candidate will collaborate with faculty colleagues, research staff, students, and external partners to advance understanding of North Carolina’s economy and support evidence-based decision making.
This position will serve as the Senior Research Economist for the Initiative, and in this role they will lead the development, refinement, validation, and interpretation of economic forecasts, nowcasts, scenario analyses, and related applied research products. Additionally, the Research Associate Professor or Research Professor will work closely with the Executive Director, Director of Research Data Strategy and Analytics, data analysts, faculty affiliates, communications staff, state and local partners, and other Kenan Institute teams to ensure that the Initiative’s economic methodologies and research outputs are rigorous, transparent, actionable, and accessible to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
The role will translate complex economic data and forecasting results into practical insight for policymakers, county leaders, economic developers, business organizations, community colleges, workforce partners, researchers and other stakeholders. The Research Associate Professor or Research Professor will help determine appropriate modeling approaches, evaluate forecast accuracy, communicate uncertainty and limitations, prepare written research products, brief stakeholders, and identify emerging economic issues that warrant additional county-level analysis.
The Research Associate Professor or Research Professor reports to the Executive Director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise (KIPE) and will work in close coordination with the Executive Director, who will lead the Initiative’s strategy, operations, partnerships, stakeholder engagement and public-facing growth. This position may supervise or provide functional guidance to economists, analysts, research staff, students or contractors working on forecasting models, economic analysis, research briefs, county profiles, dashboards or stakeholder deliverables.
The position requires strong technical expertise in applied economics, econometrics, forecasting, regional economics, labor economics, public policy or a related field. The successful candidate will help make the Initiative a trusted, objective, and methodologically sound source of economic intelligence for North Carolina.
This position is contingent upon the continued availability of funding.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
The position requires a Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Economics, Financial Economics, Public Policy, or a related field. The selected candidate can anticipate an initial appointment of Research Associate Professor or Research Professor, depending on credentials.
