Research Associate

About the Role

Harvard Business School seeks multiple Research Associates (RAs) to support faculty members on writing/content-focused work. This position reports directly to faculty supervisors and the administrative manager in the Research Staff Services office. Ideal RAs are comfortable working independently with intellectual curiosity and discretionary judgment.

Specific faculty hiring needs include:

• Joshua Margolis: Support for a book project on the role of the CFO in organizations. Requires knowledge in finance, strong writing and research skills, and the ability to conduct statistical analysis on firm profitability data.
• Benjamin Esty and Fritz Foley: Support for a book project on corporate fraud. Requires prior writing experience and an interest in business management.
• Lakshmi Ramarajan: Half-time support for projects focused on identity and power. Experience with or strong interest in interviewing, qualitative data analysis, laboratory and field experiments, and quantitative methods using archival and survey data is ideal.

Key Responsibilities

• Work under the general direction of HBS faculty on topics central to the HBS research agenda.
• Provide subject-area knowledge, analysis, and interpretation to faculty.
• Identify and explore a wide range of questions related to faculty research agendas.
• Write cases, case supplements, project reports, and book drafts from start to finish, creating original content based on subject-area expertise, research, and interviews.
• Write articles for applicable business audiences such as Harvard Business Review.
• Apply complex research ideas, concepts, and methodologies to new projects and situations.
• Structure assignments and keep faculty informed using own judgment.
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Bachelor's degree with a GPA above 3.5.
• Ability to read academic, subject-specific information and write reasoned, thoughtful analysis, and creative interpretations.
• Evidence of prior high-quality, original academic writing.
• Background in analysis and interpretation of relevant data, research, news, and literature is helpful.
• Extremely high standards in terms of quality of work, attention to detail, strong organization skills, and absolute commitment to task completion.
• Ability to balance multiple tasks and shifting priorities under tight deadlines at an accelerated pace when necessary.
• Familiarity with navigating a complex organization (e.g., Harvard Business School) is helpful.
• Prior experience supporting short-form writing and website project management preferred.

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date: June 30, 2027. Faculty prefer candidates willing to commit for two years.
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week.
• This is a hybrid position requiring a minimum of 3 days per week on-site at the Boston, MA campus. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs.
• Candidate interviews may be conducted virtually or in-person.
• A cover letter is required. A writing sample and transcript must be submitted. A code sample may be requested for review by an HBS statistician.
• Visa sponsorship is not provided.