Research Associate Professor or Research Professor (Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise)

Kenan Institute of Private Ent - 331600

08/17/2026

No

Permanent Faculty

Research Associate Professor or Research Professor (Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise)

Fixed Term Faculty

FAC0006057

Full-Time Permanent

40

1

North Carolina, US

11/02/2026

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research, and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts, and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work, and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation, and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development, and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant, and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers, and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life, and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

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.

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.

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.

It is preferred that the successful candidate will possess:

- Experience with county-level, regional, state or local economic data.
- Experience developing or maintaining forecasts, nowcasts, scenario models, economic indicators, composite indexes or regional economic dashboards.
- Experience with GDP, employment, wages, industry composition, workforce skills, housing affordability, tax revenue, migration, business formation or other state and local economic indicators.
- Experience communicating economic analysis to policymakers, local government officials, business leaders, economic developers, workforce partners, media or community audiences.
- Experience working with public data sources such as BEA, BLS, Census, ACS, QCEW, LAUS, Zillow, Freddie Mac, Lightcast, state administrative data or similar datasets.
- Experience evaluating model performance, forecast accuracy, confidence intervals, revisions, scenario ranges or uncertainty communication.
- Experience managing analysts, mentoring junior economists or leading cross-functional applied research teams.
- Familiarity with North Carolina’s economy, regional differences, rural and urban economic development issues, workforce trends, housing markets or local government decision-making.
- Ability to balance academic rigor with practical usefulness for stakeholders.

Not Applicable.

Applicants may view the job posting and follow the application process to be considered at:https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/323938.

Applicants should submit a Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae/Résumé, and Writing/Research Sample. At the time of hire, the selected applicant should be prepared to arrange submission of two (2) signed letters of recommendation, on institutional letterhead, from individuals not affiliated with the Kenan-Flagler Business School.