The Department of Sociology at Princeton University seeks applicants for a professional specialist position at 50% duty time. The initial appointment will be for one year with the possibility of reappointment. Successful candidates will have a background in law and/or social science. The selected candidate will have to work from Washington, DC/Maryland and travel to Princeton and other research organizations as required.

The professional specialist will work in the Debt Collection Lab at Princeton University, an interdisciplinary research team that builds public-facing tools and conducts research. Its primary tool is a tracker that monitors debt collection lawsuits in real time and reveals which communities are hardest hit by disparities in income, legal representation, and other characteristics (debtcollectionlab.org). The Debt Collection Lab is currently working on studies about the student loan crisis, the policies at the Department of Education and Treasury, and the affordability crisis.

The professional specialist will work directly with Professor Frederick F. Wherry, the Principal Investigator of the Debt Collection Lab and the Townsend Martin, Class of 1917 Professor of Sociology, on new initiatives with external partners to track debt collection and its effects. The work will entail writing grant proposals, engaging external partners, developing surveys, submitting FOIA requests, and writing reports.

We seek self-driven, creative thinkers with a strong legal background. Successful candidates must have previous experience studying student loan defaults and the law.

Previous coursework in law and society is useful but not required.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conducting research on student loan defaults and the affordability crisis.

• Performing original research involving identifying and summarizing administrative and survey data on student loan defaults while developing original surveys on student loan defaults.

• Accessing such data through administrative agencies and research outfits.

• Writing briefs and memos summarizing research findings, displaying trends, and interpreting data patterns.

• Attending and contributing to team meetings, collaborating and engaging with external partners.

- Attending workshops, conferences, and meetings at Princeton and other research organizations.

The successful candidate must have experience examining Department of Education data on student loan defaults and summarizing the political and legal basis for the Department’s actions.

A JD or equivalent and at least 2+ years of relevant work experience are required for this position.

This position is subject to the University's background check policy.

This position is not eligible for sponsorship of an H-1B visa requiring consular processing.

Applicants are required to submit the following:

• Cover letter that includes links for upt to three existing publications
• CV
• Contact information for one reference