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Saïd Business School seeks to recruit either a Pre-doctoral (Grade 6) or Post-doctoral (Grade 7) Researcher to work within the Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative, which is launching a pioneering research programme on “Enabling consumers to make healthy financial choices“, focusing on how behavioural finance insights can be applied at scale through technology platforms to improve financial literacy and decision-making.
This post is for the financial economics strand examining how investors make decisions in digital trading environments. The researcher will work directly with Capital.com, one of the world's leading trading platforms with millions of users, gaining unprecedented access to proprietary data to conduct frontier research. The project encompasses multiple research methodologies and approaches:
- Leverage rich observational data to understand trading patterns, investor heterogeneity, and decision-making dynamics using state-of-the-art econometric techniques
- Identify and exploit quasi-experimental variation to establish causal relationships using instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, and regression discontinuity designs
- Build theoretical models of investor behaviour, market microstructure, and platform economics to generate testable predictions and policy insights
- Develop and estimate structural models of trading behaviour to understand deep parameters and conduct counterfactual analysis
- Document systematic biases and heuristics in financial decision-making, potentially designing and testing interventions when appropriate
- Apply modern ML techniques to predict investor behaviour and identify patterns in high-dimensional data
The research will bridge academic rigor with practical relevance, creating win-win solutions that advance scientific knowledge while providing actionable insights for improving investor outcomes.
Please review the attached Job Description document below to review the essential and desirable selection criteria for this role, as well as the duties of the post. If you would like to apply, click on the Apply Now button on the ‘Job Details’ page and follow the on-screen instructions to register as a new user or log-in if you have applied previously. Please provide details of two / three referees and indicate whether we can contact them now.
All applicants must submit their materials as a single PDF file with your name in the filename (e.g., “Surname_Firstname_Pre-doctoral_Application.pdf”, or “Surname_Firstname_Post-doctoral_Application.pdf”)
For Post-Doctoral Candidates (with PhD/DPhil already held or very near confirmation):
Please compile the following materials into a single PDF:
- CV including publication list, conference presentations, and working papers
- Job market paper or representative research paper demonstrating your research capability
- Research statement (2-3 pages)
- Research proposal (optional but appreciated): Describe a specific research question you would pursue using trading platform data, including your empirical strategy (could be experimental, quasi-experimental, structural, or theoretical)
- Contact details for three academic references (included in CV or as separate page)
For Pre-Doctoral Candidates (with exceptional undergraduate/master's degree):
Please compile the following materials into a single PDF:
- CV including relevant coursework, academic achievements, and any research experience
- Supporting statement (1-2 pages) explaining: 1. How you meet each selection criterion with specific examples; 2. Your research interests and motivation for pursuing this position; 3. Your concrete PhD application plans and timeline; 4. Relevant projects or experiences demonstrating research potential
- Contact details for two to three academic references (included in CV or as separate page)
- Research proposal (optional but appreciated): Describe a specific research question you would pursue using trading platform data, including your empirical strategy (could be experimental, quasi-experimental, structural, or theoretical)
In addition, please prepare a code sample demonstrating your programming and data analysis skills (Include code files in a zip file named “Surname_Firstname_Pre-doctoral_Application**.**zip” with explanation of context and your contribution)
Your application will be judged solely on the basis of how you demonstrate that you meet the selection criteria stated in the job description.
Application deadline: Friday 30th January 2026, 12:00 GMT (midday)
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