Urs Pietsch

Two PhD / Research Assistant positions are open at the Chair of Health Economics, Policy and Management at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The project sits at the intersection of health economics , applied econometrics , data science , causal machine learning , and hospital decision-making. The positions are part of the SNSF-funded project “Where Precision Medicine and Operations Management Meet – Learning Optimal Decision Policies in Hospitals” (POM-D-H). The research aims to develop and evaluate data-driven decision policies in hospitals using large-scale clinical data, with a focus on improving patient outcomes, hospital efficiency, and resource allocation. Successful candidates will refine and test research questions using quantitative and empirical methods, prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, present findings at international conferences, and support supervision of bachelor and master theses and student assistants. The work involves close collaboration with the leadership team, doctors, and a broader clinical and research network including major Swiss hospitals. Eligibility highlights: strong background in economics, econometrics, data science, or related quantitative fields; interest in policy-relevant health research; ability to work with large real-world datasets; and willingness to enroll in a PhD program at the University of St. Gallen. The GPEF program (Doctor of Philosophy in Economics and Econometrics) is specifically recommended. Funding: fully funded employment positions supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Application: the post directs applicants to the vacancy website for full details and application instructions. The deadline is not specified in the post and is listed as “see website.”