Position Description

Harvard Business School seeks a full-time Research Associate (RA) to support a faculty member in the Marketing unit. The successful candidate will assist with the daily operations of research projects in the areas of the economics of business to business markets, branding and advertising, and marketing of financial products.

The RA reports directly to faculty supervisor and administrative manager in the Research Staff Services office. Ideal candidates will be comfortable in an environment that requires a high level of independence, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to use discretionary judgment.

Primary duties

• Conduct technical tasks in order to:
  • Manage, manipulate, and summarize large data sets.
  • Scrape and collect data from complex online sources.
  • Perform analyses, regressions, and create visualizations.
• Participate in team meetings, conduct literature searches and reviews, contribute to scholarly research products including but not limited to journal articles, working papers, presentations, and HBS cases and teaching notes.
• Collaborate in development of new techniques and instruments. Use knowledge of quantitative methods to analyze and interpret experimental results. Make recommendations to faculty based on statistical interpretation and independent research. Document, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the quality of results.
• Provide support in writing and revising cases, case supplements, articles, project reports, and policy memos from start to finish, creating original writing based on expertise, research, and interviews. Independently manage all timelines and deliverables for multiple projects with competing priorities.
• Provide analysis, writing, and editing for academic journal articles, HBS cases, and HBS teaching notes. Develop, synthesize and provide analysis of literature reviews.
• Independently manage all timelines and deliverables using strong communication and prioritization skills. Exercise independent decision making with regard to progression of research project and methodologies. Must be able to structure assignments and keep faculty member informed as necessary, using own judgment.
• Ensure compliance with department, university, and federal regulations. Complete work with only general direction. Be aware of department, school, university policies and potential outside research policies.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, with a focus in economics, mathematics, quantitative sciences or business related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience with Stata or R is required.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

Candidates with more advanced experience may be considered at a higher salary grade (56).

Familiarity with Python for fuzzy matching and machine learning is a plus. Strong skills related to the Microsoft Office Suite and Latex are expected.

Evidence of academic excellence, proven evidence of independent research in specific advanced field of study, evidence of prior high-quality, original academic writing, and background in analysis and interpretation of relevant data, research, news, and literature is helpful. Ability to read academic, subject-specific information and write a reasoned and thoughtful analysis, as well as produce a creative interpretation, is a must.

The candidate must have extremely high standards in terms of quality of work, attention to detail, strong organization skills, and absolute commitment to task completion. Must be able to balance multiple tasks and shifting priorities under tight deadlines at an accelerated pace when necessary. It is helpful if the candidate is familiar with navigating a complex organization, such as Harvard Business School.

Additional Information

This is a half-time term appointment starting this summer through June 30, 2024, with potential for re-appointment for the following year. All HBS RA roles are structured as one-year appointments.

This role is offered as a hybrid (some combination of onsite and remote) where you are required to be onsite at our Boston, MA based campus 2-4 days per week. Specific days and schedule will be determined between you and your manager.

We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity. All candidates will be expected to submit a writing sample, transcript, and a code sample to be reviewed by an HBS statistician.

Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

Culture of Inclusion: The work and well-being of HBS is profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences. Explore HBS work culture at https://www.hbs.edu/employment/.

Salary Grade: 055

Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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