Postdoctoral Associate

The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI), part of the Child Study Center at the Yale University School of Medicine, conducts research and teaches people of all ages how to develop their emotional intelligence. Our work focuses on: (1) the development and impact of social and emotional skills among diverse populations, including education settings and organizations, and (2) the mechanisms by which social and emotional skills and training impact significant life outcomes.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Associate to join our research team, working across a portfolio of funded projects at the intersection of emotion science, psychometric assessment, and large-scale intervention research. The projects will investigate the development and validation of novel measures of emotional skills and emotion-related mindsets; the mechanisms and moderators of emotion-focused interventions; and the design and analysis of large-scale digital and app-based research. The position also includes a role in supporting the research infrastructure of Yale’s flagship Emotional Intelligence MOOC launching on Coursera, which aims to reach many learners worldwide in its first year and will serve as a platform for validating EI measures and studying mechanisms of behavior change at scale.

The postdoctoral associate’s primary responsibilities will include data preparation and management, advanced statistical analysis, literature reviews, and preparation of research articles and academic presentations, with opportunities for manuscript and grant writing, and collaboration with a broader interdisciplinary team. Dr. Marc Brackett, YCEI Director, will serve as the primary supervisor and professional support; and Dr. James Floman, Associate Research Scientist will provide additional supervision.

Skills and Qualifications

• Doctorate (PhD) in psychology or a closely related field
• Specialization or demonstrated interest in emotion or affective science, emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, or psychometric assessment research
• Strong quantitative skills, including experience with regression, structural equation modeling (SEM), and multilevel modeling (MLM)
• Experience with measurement development, factor analytic methods, and validation study designs preferred
• Experience with large dataset management and longitudinal or intervention study designs preferred
• Excellent scientific writing skills and ability to contribute to peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team
• Experience with digital or app-based research platforms a plus
• Experience applying machine learning, artificial intelligence, and large language models to research a plus

The postdoctoral position incoming salary of no less than $68,500.00. Information on compensation and benefits for postdoctoral appointments can be found at https://postdocs.yale.edu/postdocs/being-a-postdoc-at-yale/benefits-summary.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter and CV to [email protected]. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please have contact information available for three references upon request.

ABOUT THE YALE CENTER FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotions drive learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, and health. Our goal is to design effective approaches for supporting school communities in understanding the value of emotions, teaching the skills of emotional intelligence, and building and sustaining positive emotional climates in homes, schools, and workplaces.