Postdoctoral Associate - Global Labor and Work, ILR Future of Work Program

The Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School at Cornell University is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to join the ILR Future of Work program in the Fall 2025 semester.

Department Focus:
Faculty members in the Department of Global Labor and Work (GLW) study workers, employers, and the government policies affecting them. GLW faculty draw on the fields of anthropology, economics, history, law, labor relations, political science, and sociology in their research and teaching.

To learn more about the faculty in the Department of Global Labor and Work, please visit: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/academics/departments/global-labor-and-work.

Postdoctoral Overview:

The theme of the Postdoctoral Fellowship is worker voice in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled restructuring. The Postdoctoral Associate will work with ILR faculty member Virginia Doellgast in the Department of Global Labor and Work. In addition to working on their own research, the Postdoctoral Associate is expected to work with Professor Doellgast to advance a research project in this area. This project will compare strategies to adopt and deploy AI and algorithm-based technologies in service occupations, with a focus on how collective bargaining and other forms of collective worker voice influence these strategies and worker outcomes. The US research will be coordinated with research teams in Canada and Europe, and the Postdoctoral Associate will have the opportunity to conduct international comparative research based on interest and language skills.

What you will do:

The Postdoctoral Associate will contribute to an ongoing research project investigating how AI and algorithmic technologies are integrated into service occupations, with particular emphasis on the role of collective bargaining and other forms of collective worker voice in shaping outcomes. Research activities will include conducting interviews, site visits, worker surveys; coding and analyzing collective agreements; and performing archival analysis. The Postdoctoral Associate will assist in coordinating these activities and will co-author practitioner reports and academic publications. They will also organize and conduct presentations targeted at labor union and policy audiences, helping to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world labor education and advocacy.

Appointment Details:

• This is a full-time, academic, non-tenure track, term position with an initial one-year appointment. The position may be extended for a second year, depending on available funding and work.
• The Postdoctoral Associate will receive $70,000 in salary as well as a modest research budget of $5,000.00.
• No teaching responsibilities are required for this position.
• The Postdoctoral Associate will receive regular supervision and mentorship from Professor Virginia Doellgast, Anne Evans Estabrook Professor of Employment Relations and Dispute Resolution.

More information about the ILR School can be obtained at our web sites, http://www.ilr.cornell.edu.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Industrial Relations, Public Policy, Sociology, Political Science, Management, City and Regional Planning, or a closely related field, completed within five years of starting the position.
• Experience with mixed methods research, including qualitative and quantitative analysis, as well as survey-based research.
• Strong research interests and experience in labor and employment relations, labor studies, or a related research area.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in research related to AI, digitalization, or technological transformation in the workplace.
• Background in labor organizing, policy work, or international and comparative research is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in languages other than English (for international research) is a plus.

Cornell appreciates employees with great rewards & benefits:

Cornell provides great benefits that include educational benefits, access to a plethora of wellness programs, employee discounts with local and national retail brands, health care options to choose from, generous paid leave provisions and superior retirement contributions.

Cornell has also been nationally recognized as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives. For more information click here.

To Apply:

Application materials should be submitted through Academic Jobs Online: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/program/29869.

Interested parties should submit a vita, a letter of application describing qualifications and research agenda, a writing sample,and three reference letters. Additionally, a statement describingexperiences with and/or planned approaches to working with diverse communities in research, teaching, service, and/or outreach in support of Cornell's founding principle of "...any person...any study".

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled or by May 15.

Pay Range:

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.

• Academic Discipline

• Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email atequity@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEEO Statement:

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