Google

Research Scientist, AI and Economics

Google • $207K — $300K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in Economics or related quantitative field, or equivalent experience.
  • 4 years post-PhD research experience in various sectors.
  • Expertise in causal inference and research design.
  • First-author publications in peer-reviewed economics or AI/CS journals.
  • Proficiency in Python and key scientific computing libraries.

Responsibilities

  • Conceptualize and publish peer-reviewed economic research on AI's effects.
  • Use causal frameworks to extract economic insights from data.
  • Develop applications using LLMs and ML techniques for economic analysis.
  • Integrate traditional econometrics with data science workflows.
  • Consult with stakeholders on economic strategies and policies.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance.
  • Retirement savings plan with company matching.
  • Generous paid time off and leave policies.
  • Access to educational resources and professional development.
  • Opportunity for equity and performance-based bonuses.
Full Job Description
Minimum qualifications:
  • PhD in Economics, Quantitative Social Sciences, Statistics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 4 years of post-PhD research experience in academia, research institutes, or industry research labs.
  • Experience with causal inference, experimental or quasi-experimental design, and applied econometrics.
  • One or more first-author papers accepted at or published in economics journals or peer-reviewed AI/CS venues.
  • Experience in Python and standard scientific computing/ML libraries such as pandas, NumPy, PyTorch/Jax, scikit-learn, statsmodels.

Preferred qualifications:
  • Experience combining structural econometrics or causal models with modern machine learning pipelines to manage high-dimensional, unstructured data.
  • Strong publication record explicitly focused on the economics of AI, digital economics, technology adoption, or labor/productivity impacts.
  • Proven success working productively alongside software engineers, ML researchers, and policy/legal experts.
  • Ability to translate technical econometrics and ML methodologies into intuitive, high-impact narratives for C-suite executives, policymakers, and interdisciplinary non-experts.


About the job

As a Research Scientist, you'll setup large-scale tests and deploy promising ideas quickly and broadly, managing deadlines and deliverables while applying the latest theories to develop new and improved products, processes, or technologies. From creating experiments and prototyping implementations to designing new architectures, our research scientists work on real-world problems that span the breadth of computer science, such as machine (and deep) learning, data mining, natural language processing, hardware and software performance analysis, improving compilers for mobile platforms, as well as core search and much more.

As a Research Scientist, you'll also actively contribute to the wider research community by sharing and publishing your findings, with ideas inspired by internal projects as well as from collaborations with research programs at partner universities and technical institutes all over the world.

As a Research Scientist, you will conduct empirical research within the agenda of the AI and Economy team. You will develop novel methodologies that leverage internal product logs, unstructured text, internal datasets, and public economic indicators to measure the adoption, productivity effects, labor market transformations, and broader surplus generated by AI technologies.

This is a high-visibility individual contributor role designed for a researcher with an academic background who thrives on solving ambiguous empirical problems, publishing foundational research, and translating complex economic insights for multiple audiences.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $207000 - $300000 (USD) 20% bonus target equity benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google .

Responsibilities
  • Conceptualize, execute, and publish peer-reviewed economic research, working papers, and research blogs evaluating the effects of AI on the economy. Output form-factor may vary.
  • Apply causal frameworks (e.g., difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, synthetic controls, quasi-experiments) to understand economic mechanisms from observational data.
  • Pioneer new applications of Large Language Models (LLMs), natural language processing, and modern machine learning techniques to structure, classify, and extract high-fidelity economic signals from massive unstructured datasets and product logs.
  • Bridge standard econometrics with scalable data science workflows in Python, ensuring methodological matches production-scale execution.
  • Advise cross-functional partners in Research, GDM Google Cloud, Policy, and Product leadership on data-driven economic strategy and potential policy implications.


About Google

Google is a multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. The company has grown tremendously since then and has become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Learn more about Google
Size
156,500 employees
Market Cap
$1,115.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$40.2 billion
Founded
1998
5 Year Trend
+23.3%
Revenue
$182.5 billion
NASDAQ

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