Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

A post-doc in economics or related disciplines is needed to study textile and fashion industry and R&D in the shift to more environmentally sustainable fashion and textile technologies. The position is in the new Fashion Innovation Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. We will work with industry participants to assemble new and historical data on technological shifts in product and material types (fiber, fabric, dyes, clothing), manufacturing methods, trade, output, price, industry composition (including companies and products), and more. The purpose is to analyze these patterns, and to draw conclusions appropriate for reports and journal or book publications about industry and technology dynamics and potentially about environment, trade, and regional clusters and networks, and for informing industry and technology development.

A successful applicant should have skills in applied econometrics, methodological skills, and potentially additional skills such as for novel historical data collection and interview and survey design. Appropriate research field backgrounds may include industry dynamics or IO, technological innovation, applied microeconomics, economic history, strategic management, environment, regional economics, international trade, or related areas. Strong writing skills are especially helpful.

In addition to research publications applied toward the industry and/or technology, the post-doc in this position will generate reports and advice on the industry and technology. The Center has funding for travel, computational needs, and data acquisitions, and is building a focused library to complement RPI’s existing university-wide library. There are ample opportunities to interact with industry experts. Course auditing or completion opportunities exist including our Economics PhD sequence. The position is funded for at least three years.

The FIC consortium nurtures a New York State sustainable fashion industry. The core focus is to advance both natural textile products including bast fibers (primarily hemp) and wool, and new-technology sustainable fibers and materials, so that they are manufactured in New York State from raw materials to final fashion products. The FIC innovates sustainable fashion technologies, accelerates sustainable fashion business innovations, engages through meetings and FIC activities, nurtures to spread knowledge and target supply chain gaps, and markets New York State's sustainable fashion industry. Primary collaborators are Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (lead organization), SUNY Morrisville, Hudson Valley Textile Project, Field to Fiber, Made X Hudson, and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Start date: flexible, July or August 2024 preferred, could be January 2025.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, Race/Gender/Veterans/Disability Employer.
For position information & to apply: https://careers.rpi.edu/en-us/job/494286/economic-industry-analyst-fashion-innovation-center