Research Associate

22-Feb-2024

Harvard Business School

65127BR

Position Description

The Digital, Data, and Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard is looking for a full-time Research Associate (RA) to drive and support research activities at our newly formed research labs. D^3 formally launched in July 2022 with 10 newly minted labs that provide cutting edge research faced by academics and practitioners. For more information on D^3, please visit https://d3.harvard.edu.

The RA will work under the direct supervision of a Lab Manager at each lab. The RA will also work closely with Harvard Business School faculty and D^3 core and platform staff. D^3 is looking for candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or new perspectives.

The Customer Intelligence Lab, led by Professors Ayelet Israeli and Eva Ascarza, is seeking a quantitative Research Associate. The goal of the Customer Data Lab is to leverage customer data to improve outcomes for firms, consumers, and society at large. Ideal RA candidates will be comfortable in an environment that requires a high level of independence, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to use discretionary judgment. Under the general direction of faculty member(s), the RA will collect and analyze big data; estimate statistical and machine learning models; design and conduct online experiments; conduct academic literature search; contribute to scholarly research products including but not limited to journal articles, working papers, and presentations.

Primary Duties:

• Independently manage all timelines and deliverables. 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.
• The qualified individual should demonstrate strong skills of: Programming and engineering, including Python (must), Bash script, SQL, and preferably C++, Julia.
• Statistical analysis in R (must), and preferably STATA.
• Strong background in statistics and mathematics.
• Develop, synthesize, and provide analysis of data exhibits for academic journal articles.
• RA must also 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.
• Responsible for other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required. Strong preference for candidates with a background in Computer Science, Econometrics, Statistics or Data Science.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

The candidate must have extremely high standards in terms of quality of work, especially concerning data quality. The candidate will work on projects involving collecting, experimenting and analyzing very large sets of diverse data to understand consumer behavior.

Attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and absolute commitment to task completion are a must. Evidence of outstanding academic achievement, strong mathematics background, and the ability to establish strong engineering and research skills in big data are essential.

Additional Information

This is a full-time term appointment beginning as soon as possible (start date flexible) through June 30, 2024, with an expectation of reappointment until June 30, 2025. All Research Associate roles at HBS are structured as one-year term appointments with potential for renewal based on funding and performance. 

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, transcripts, 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 more about HBS work culture here https://www.hbs.edu/employment.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Department Office Location

USA – MA – Boston

Job Code

RS0055 Researcher I Humanities

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Department

Division of Research and Faculty Development

Union

00 – Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Appointment End Date

30-Jun-2024

Pre-Employment Screening

Education, Identity

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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