Blueprint Labs is hiring Predoctoral Researchers based at MIT in Cambridge, MA. Blueprint uses data and economics to uncover the consequences of policy decisions and improve society. Based in the Department of Economics at MIT, Blueprint Labs consists of academic affiliates, full-time staff, and graduate researchers. Blueprint Labs works closely with leading academic, government, and nonprofit institutions across the country to generate pioneering research that informs policy and practice in education, health care, and the workforce.
We are seeking motivated, independent, and organized Predoctoral Researchers to support our research initiatives. The Predoctoral Researchers will work closely with one or more of the Blueprint Labs Directors or Co-Directors, including Josh Angrist, Parag Pathak, Nikhil Agarwal, and David Autor, plus collaborators at other universities.
This position also offers the opportunity to collaborate with Blueprint Labs research staff and external research, policy, and data partners. Working in this role at Blueprint Labs combines the academic exposure of a standard “econ predoc” with industry best-practices, like a supportive cohort model, and is designed for predocs to plan the next stage of their careers. Predocs gain work experience with advanced research methods, collaborate closely with leading researchers, and develop their research skills in a rigorous environment. Previous predocs have gone on to master’s and PhD programs or careers in consulting, tech, government, economics, K-12 education, policy, and more.
Blueprint Labs is a team of both researchers and administrative staff. Managerial staff provide structure through what we call “staff coaching,” which allows predocs to focus on conducting research while the staff coach largely handles administrative tasks. The staff coach also provides other types of support to facilitate a positive work experience. Blueprint Labs provides opportunities for professional development (through both academic and non-academic classes), attending conferences and seminars, and social events (ask us about our Social Committee!). The peer community of Blueprint predocs meets weekly to discuss common challenges, steward cultural initiatives, and discuss research. There are a variety of mentorship opportunities, both formal and informal, for predocs to pursue. Most Blueprint predocs are the only predoc on their project, and our faculty-to-predoc ratio is about 1:3.
Predoctoral Researchers receive a full-time, one-year appointment that is renewable annually, contingent on funding and mutual agreement. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship and applicants must have US work authorization by the start of employment. The starting salary for a Predoctoral Researcher is $69,294 and includes standard MIT employee benefits. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.
All hires must start by July 15, 2027 at Blueprint’s office in Cambridge, MA. Blueprint understands that candidates may need to first complete a degree program or transition from another full-time role.
Predoctoral Researchers work on research projects with MIT faculty members, additional affiliated faculty, and graduate students. Specific responsibilities include managing advanced code bases, constructing and preparing data for analysis, conducting analysis in Stata, Python, and/or R (or similar), presenting results and engaging in discussion in project meetings, communicating results to different audiences, and editing papers for publication. Other duties will arise as needed. All predocs attend and present at regularly occurring research meetings, may attend related conferences or external presentations, and communicate with faculty both in-person and online. Predocs can take classes (both for credit and via traditional auditing) and attend department seminars. The specific breakdown of responsibilities for each role will depend on the project portfolio, your skillsets, and will likely change and evolve over time.
In your application, we ask you to select the team(s) you’re interested in applying for, which includes Education, Health Care/AI, and Workforce. You can select one or more teams and will only be considered by the team(s) you select. Blueprint is hiring for the following predoctoral researcher roles within these teams:
The education team is led by Josh Angrist and Parag Pathak. Current research spans public K-12 school effectiveness, charter school effects, preschool impacts, long-run effects of higher-education scholarships, and K-12 school closures. Projects frequently leverage causal inference methods, including randomized controlled trials, lottery-based random assignment, and centralized match algorithms. Predocs on the education team are assigned to two or three projects at a time, with one or more of our faculty based on project needs.
The health care and AI team is led by Nikhil Agarwal. Central research themes include organ allocation, the value of data, and AI in decision making contexts with real world applications. Structural models frequently form the backbone of this team’s projects. Predocs on this team are assigned to one or more projects at a time with Nikhil based on their skills, interests, and project needs.
James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center Predoctoral Researchers are part of the Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work, which operates under the Blueprint umbrella. The workforce team is led by Daron Acemoglu, David Autor, and Simon Johnson. Research may explore themes including determinants of income and wealth inequality; labor market consequences of technological change; effects of globalization on incomes, innovation, and growth; and applying AI to extend worker expertise. Predocs on the workforce team are assigned to one or more projects at a time with one or more of our faculty based on their skills, interests, and project needs.
Workforce also offers a workforce and policy predoctoral researcher position which combines work on empirical projects with additional assignments geared towards supporting the Stone Center’s policy- and outreach-related work, with the focus of the work varying over the course of the predoc. This workforce and policy predoctoral researcher role may be of interest to those who are interested in preparing for a technical PhD and are also interested in opportunities for writing and editing to communicate and disseminate technical economics research to policymakers and the general public. Successful candidates need technical research skills, strong organizational and project management skills, a high level of independent judgment, and superior writing ability.
We encourage you to apply even if you do not possess every qualification and skill listed. This is not a data scientist role; some economics training is required.
Step one: Submit your application via MIT’s hiring website. If this link doesn’t work, please visit hr.mit.edu, Click “Search Open Positions,” and search for Job Number 25760. If you do not apply to the MIT hiring website, your application will not be evaluated. To be hired by Blueprint Labs, you are required to apply to MIT.
Please only submit one application to the MIT site. Please upload the same cover letter and resume to the MIT site as you use for the Google form. Do not add any additional materials to the MIT application.
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Step two: Submit the Google form and upload additional materials. The Google form allows us to more completely understand your candidacy. If you do not submit the Google Form, your application will not be evaluated. To be hired by Blueprint Labs, you are required to apply to this form.
Upload your cover letter, resume, transcripts, and GPA conversion guidance (if applicable) in a single PDF, maximum file size of 10 MB, titled “Blueprint Labs Application_[First name]_[Last name].pdf”. Do not include unsolicited materials.
Upload your code sample, maximum file size of 10MB, titled “Blueprint Labs Code Sample_[First name]_[Last name]”.
Upload a writing sample, maximum file size of 10MB, titled “Blueprint Labs Writing Sample_[First name]_[Last name].pdf”.
*Blueprint is hiring predoctoral researchers across multiple teams, and candidates are asked to select which team(s) to apply to. Please note in your cover letter which team(s) you’d like to be considered for and select the appropriate boxes in the Google Form. Each team requires different skillsets and experience. You do not need to be interested in every team, but the more teams you’re open to, the more available positions you will be considered for.
**Blueprint Labs values the life experiences our staff bring to the team. We invite you to share what influences your desire to work at Blueprint. This is not required but rather provides an opportunity for us to get to know you.
The priority application deadline is August 2, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. We will continue to accept applications after the priority deadline on a rolling basis until all roles are filled.
Candidates who apply by the priority deadline and advance to further stages can expect the following additional activities. While these dates are our current plan, the exact timing may shift. If you do not hear from us in the timeframe listed, please know your application is still under consideration in the hiring pool.
If you apply after the priority deadline, the hiring process follows the steps above but with a variable timeline.
If you have any accessibility needs throughout the interview process, please write to hiring@mitblueprintlabs.org. Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the hiring process. Questions not addressed in the FAQ should be directed to hiring@mitblueprintlabs.org.
MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin.
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