Job Description

Description

Area

: Electricity economics with a focus on transmission

Duration

: 2 years

Start Date

: July 1, 2026

Salary

: $80,000 per year, plus Alberta Blue Cross health insurance benefits, with an additional research allowance of up to $10,000


The

Department of Economics

in the

Faculty of

Arts

at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a

Postdoctoral Scholar in Electricity Economics, Transmission.

:

We are seeking a motivated and hard-working post-doctoral scholar to do a mix of independent research and joint projects with University of Calgary faculty. The postdoctoral scholar will work directly with

Dr. Blake Shaffer

and

Dr. Sarah Johnston

, with the opportunity to collaborate with other faculty as well.


The postdoctoral role will involve independent research, as well as participation in a multi-year NRCan-funded project entitled

Western Transmission Catalysts: Practical pathways to expanding interprovincial transmission in Western Canada. The project brings together four provincial governments, four grid operators, several industry partners, and over 40 First Nations to lay the foundation for successful expansion of

Indigenous-led interprovincial transmission

. The scholar would play an active role in the project team and have flexibility to work in areas of the project most suited to their skills and interest.


There may be sessional opportunities to teach in the Department of Economics during the postdoctoral scholars tenure in the department if this is of interest to the scholar. This would be on an as available basis and at the option of the scholar. Any teaching would be remunerated as a sessional instructor, in addition to postdoctoral salary.

Qualifications:

Recent PhD in Economics (or related discipline) with a clear interest in electricity. Experience and competency in quantitative analysis, including applied econometrics. Proficient at statistical software, e.g. STATA, R, Python. Must be able to work in a team environment and interact with diverse stakeholders. Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), including strong listening skills. Strong organizational, time management and problem-solving skills, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Experience with field experiments is preferable. Must be highly goal-driven and exhibit the ability to interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Able to work within a collaborative setting with others to set clear priorities while managing multiple timelines and objectives.

Application Details:

This position is located in Calgary, Alberta. The successful candidate is expected to relocate.

The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

For full consideration, please submit your application

on or before 15 January 2026 via email

to blake.shaffer@ucalgary.ca.


Please submit your application as a

single PDF file

with the

subject line: Postdoctoral application Transmission [Your name]. All applications must include:

a brief

cover letter

including date of availability, suitability and motivation for the role, including your interest in this project, qualifications or related experience, general research/goals statement; detailed curriculum vitae (

CV

);

transcripts

from your PhD program; and contact information including email addresses for

three (3) references

to support the application.

Please review the Postdoc Eligibility Guidelines for more information prior to applying for this position.

Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted further. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada, although others are encouraged to apply.


The terms and conditions of employment are covered under the UCalgary and PDAC Collective Agreement. To find out more about postdoctoral scholar program at the University of Calgary visit our Postdocs website.


To learn more about postdoctoral scholar opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our

Postdoc Careers website

.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

About Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders' in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.


With a growing urban Indigenous population of approximately 50,000 people, there are several Indigenous organizations and many events and ceremonies taking place in the city throughout the year.


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.


The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (

oic@ucalgary.ca

) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture (

hrhire@ucalgary.ca

).