Data & Society Research Institute - Post-Doctoral Fellow, AI-Enabled Scams as a Systemic Security Challenge

• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills supported by a strong empirical foundation • PhD in Communication, Media Studies, Information Studies, Sociology, or similar applicable field; degree must be completed before the starting date. • Ability to independently conduct high-level qualitative research, including interviews, focus groups, content/discourse analysis, and other research methods • Experience with study recruitment • Expertise/interest in financial cultures, scams, generative AI, youth studies, economic sociology, or other topic relevant to the project at hand • Ability to work independently in a remote environment • Collaborative and generous intellectual partner • A strong history of work demonstrating a desire to understand how technology and power shape our sociotechnical society • Ability to translate research for non-academic audiences, including journalists, policymakers, practitioners, organizers, civil society, and the broader community • A deep commitment to social change and the practical applications of research for practice, design, and governance of new technologies • Must be able to travel for conferences, workshops, or team meetings during the appointment • Core Competencies • Core Competencies • Strong analytical thinking; ability to conceptualize, develop, and conduct a research project. • Superior written and verbal communication skills • Ability to collaborate with other researchers internally and externally to develop and execute new research projects. • Organizational Values and Participation • Commitment to advancing organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion; • Actively participate in programs and professional development opportunities that work to ensure we continue our commitment to being an anti-racist and anti-discrimination organization; • To attend, where able, whole-organization activities such as staff meetings, retreats, town halls, listening sessions, workshops, training, and social events; and • To participate, where able and appropriate, in contributing to the culture of D&S by participating in working groups and committees (e.g. DEIA Working Group). • To Apply, please submit the following items by July 15, 2026: • To Apply, please submit the following items by • July 15, 2026 • A cover letter explaining your interest in this role and the research topic, and why you would be a good fit for this position. • An academic CV is required. • The names, affiliations, and contact information for three (3) references. Please include the name, title, email addresses, and phone numbers for each reference. Only candidates who reach the final round of interviews may have their references contacted. • A 2-page research statement describing your research accomplishments,  intellectual interests, and future trajectory of your work.  One page should describe an independent research project you wish to pursue that is distinct from your dissertation which, ideally, you would work on at D&S. • Applications will be reviewed beginning July 16, 2026. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] should you have any questions about the role. Questions about the opportunity or process will not reflect negatively on your application. • July 16, 2026 • Practical Considerations • Data & Society has committed to safety requirements to protect our staff from the COVID-19 pandemic. We require that prospective employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before joining our organization. Please note that any reasonable accommodation request is not guaranteed to be approved, and we will comply with ADA-related requirements to evaluate the accommodation against business needs. • This is currently a full-time, remote position in the AI & Democracy program with an expected start date in September 2026 and an end date of May 31, 2028. This is a 2-year fellowship position, with no expectation for extension. Data & Society is based in New York City, and will for the foreseeable future operate as a Remote-First organization. The role may involve occasional onsite meetings in the future. • The salary range for this position is noted within this job posting. Where a prospective employee or employee is compensated within this salary range is dependent upon, among other factors, actual compensation for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure, and standing with the organization (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s overall qualifications: knowledge, skills, pertinent experience, and abilities.