Job Openings

Open postdoctoral position through the VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab with Shelley Correll, Lab Faculty Director and Professor of Sociology, and (by courtesy) of Organizational Behavior

Postdoctoral Research Scholar

The VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab at Stanford University generates foundational research to advance women's leadership by diagnosing barriers, developing and evaluating interventions to get beyond barriers, and disseminating research-based solutions by bridging the gap between research and practice. Core to this mission is supporting the next generation of gender scholars - training them in solutions-oriented research that has a positive social impact in and beyond the academy, and advancing their careers and leadership. To begin in the Fall of 2025, The VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab is now accepting applications to a two-year postdoctoral research scholar program.

The VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab is seeking a diverse pool of applicants who have expertise on gender and race in organizations, wish to join a dynamic, collaborative research community, and are interested in developing skills needed to advance solutions to social problems through scholarly research and communicate research findings to diverse audiences, including non-academic audiences. We particularly encourage applications from women, minoritized, and first-generation students, as well as candidates from a broad diversity of PhD-granting institutions.

The postdoctoral research scholar program provides time for scholars to pursue their own research agenda, and based on their expertise and interests, the postdoctoral research scholar will also work in collaboration with Lab-affiliated researchers on Lab data to draft a research paper for peer-review. The postdoctoral research scholar will also engage with the Lab community, attending all Lab meetings and workshops. Other opportunities for engagement could include mentoring graduate and/or undergraduate students or working on research translation pieces for public audiences.

Mentorship Structure

The postdoctoral research scholar will be supervised by Professor Shelley Correll, Lab Faculty Director and Professor of Sociology, and (by courtesy) of Organizational Behavior. Mentorship of the postdoctoral research scholar will be structured according to research and professional interests.

The VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab partners with the Stanford Impact Labs to train scholars in developing research for social impact, and the Lab postdoctoral research scholar will participate in their postdoctoral fellowship training program.

Qualifications

  • Has completed all doctoral requirements within the past three years and no later than September 1st, 2025.
  • Has a doctoral degree in sociology and intends to pursue a career in academia in a sociology department, business school, public policy program, or other relevant department/school.
  • Has research expertise at the intersection of gender and race in organizations (broadly defined, from school to the workplace).
  • Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills and use of rigorous, innovative quantitative and/or qualitative methods of analysis.
  • Is committed to advancing solutions to social problems through scholarly research, and communicating research findings to diverse audiences, including non-academic audiences.
  • Wishes to grow collaborative research skills

Candidates will be evaluated according to their:

  • Scientific record and potential.
  • Commitment to pursuing scholarship that can impact public policy or social outcomes.
  • Potential contribution to Lab’s research community..
  • Potential contribution to the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship training program and the educational activities, goals, and community of Stanford Impact Labs.
  • Potential for scholarly careers that will contribute to addressing historical inequities and advancing diversity through their research, teaching, and service.

Timeline:

  • The application deadline is February 20, 2025.
  • Those advancing will be notified and may be asked to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, and may be invited to interview.
  • Final selections will be made by the end of April 2025.

To apply

To be ensured of full consideration, please send your complete application by February 20, 2025 in a single PDF to SILpostdoc [at] stanford.edu (SILpostdoc[at]stanford[dot]edu) with the subject line: “SIL Postdoc_Correll”.

Complete applications should include:

  • Application Form Cover Page (download, complete, and include as the first page of your application).
  • Letter of interest explaining your motivation to become a postdoc with the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab (500 words max).
  • Short responses to the following three prompts, in 300 words or less for each:
    • Please provide a short description of your dissertation research and broader research agenda.
    • How does your research training and expertise prepare you to make progress towards understanding and identifying practical solutions to social problems?
    • In what ways have you contributed towards and/or demonstrated a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity through your academic career, and how do you plan to advance these commitments professionally?
  • CV: Provide a curriculum vitae of no more than 5 pages.
  • One representative writing sample.

The expected base pay for this position is $90,000, and the position comes with an annual research stipend of $7500. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, and internal equity.

Stanford University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce. It welcomes applications from women, members of minority groups, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching mission.