Research Associate, Accounting and Management

Harvard Business School (HBS) is seeking a qualified candidate for a Research Associate (RA) position. The position is ideal for intellectually ambitious researchers interested in doctoral studies in management, accounting, or applied economics disciplines and a research career. The job will expose candidates to applied quantitative and qualitative research and to executives, analysts, and investors in the field. The position reports directly to two faculty members from the Accounting and Management unit at Harvard Business School working on the following research topics: corporate governance, empirical asset pricing, performance measurement and compensation, and management systems for strategy execution and growth (focused on scaling ventures and geographically dispersed retail and service organizations).

The RA position reports directly to faculty supervisor and administrative manager in the Research Staff Services office. 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.

Primary Duties: 
Support the development and execution of research projects
Conduct background research for literature reviews and case materials
Interpret and codify qualitative data; use statistical programs to clean up quantitative data, create datasets, and run analyses
Use advanced knowledge of quantitative techniques such as robust causal inference methods or machine learning analysis to further research findings; support the development of surveys (e.g., set them up online, approach and follow up with subjects); and help with the execution of field experiments and special projects (e.g., the creation of videos).
Responsible for other duties as assigned. 
 

Basic Qualifications :
Bachelor’s degree in quantitative field required (Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, etc.) required, along with evidence of outstanding academic achievement.
Statistical/programming expertise and/or applied experience with STATA and SAS required.
 

Additional Qualifications and Skills :
Masters degree preferred.
Ideal RA candidates will demonstrate intellectual curiosity, a strong quantitative background, excellent writing skills, and an ability to use discretionary judgment.
Candidates must have extremely high standards in terms of quality of work, attention to detail, organization skills, independence, initiative, and commitment to task completion.
Diplomatic skills, comfort in interacting with individuals, and grace under pressure are essential. Candidates must be able to balance multiple tasks and shift priorities under tight deadlines at an accelerated pace when necessary.
Strong skills related to the use of Microsoft Office Suite are expected (Latex a plus).

Additional Information :
This is a full-time term appointment starting now through June 30, 2025, with potential for re-appointment for the following year. All HBS RA roles are structured as one-year appointments.

This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice.

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 and transcript.

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/.