Research Associate – Data Science and Organizational Behavior
Please note only applicants who apply online via HarvardCareers will be considered.
Harvard Business School is searching half-time Research Associate to work with Professor Anjali Bhatt in the Organizational Behavior Unit for one to two years, beginning this summer. The faculty’s research focuses on examining cultural change in organizations using a variety of computational methods, including simulations, natural language processing, and machine learning. This role is a good fit for someone with an interest in computational social science, complex adaptive systems, and social/cultural dynamics in organizations, as well as those seeking to pursue advanced degrees and/or careers in quantitative social science research.
Sample research questions include:
- How does organizational culture emerge and evolve from individual-level interactions? Under what conditions do subcultures form and/or polarize?
- How do organizational dynamics (e.g., hiring, mergers & acquisitions, restructuring) influence cultural change in organizations?
- What contextual factors influence how individual employees culturally adapt in organizations?
Primary Duties:
The position entails helping with research projects at varying stages, including proposing, developing, and designing research studies; collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data; conducting literature reviews; and contributing to scholarly research products (e.g., journal articles, working papers, and presentations). Research will likely include working with large datasets and/or computational simulations and will require some background in computer programming, agent-based modeling, statistics, and database management. The role will involve significant independent decision-making and management of timelines and deliverables, keeping the faculty member informed as necessary, using own judgment.
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree required.
The successful candidate will have familiarity and an ability to quickly learn new programs, including all or most of the following: R, Python, SQL, Bash, Git, and LaTeX.
Advanced Qualifications:
Master’s level coursework and/or industry research experience in a field related to quantitative social sciences a plus.
The candidate must have very strong attention to detail and be a resourceful problem solver, including proactively seeking out help and navigating the broader research community at HBS and beyond. In addition, excellent organizational skills and systematic project management practices (including code documentation) are vital to this role.
Additional Information:
This is a half-time term appointment starting summer 2024 through June 30, 2025, 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/.