Information Research Specialist

Description

Baker Research Services (BRS), a research team within Harvard Business School’s Knowledge and Library Services (KLS), is seeking an expert data wrangler/researcher with financial data experience and subject knowledge to join our team. We provide unique data and research support to HBS faculty and doctoral students who are engaging with society’s toughest challenges—equality, the environment, health care, and much more-- through their interdisciplinary research and through connections with business practitioners in the field. This position supports multiple phases of research, teaching and learning activities and contributes to the quantity and quality of the School’s research output.  

HBS’ mission is to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.

Summary:  

BRS adds value to HBS faculty research every day by meeting data and information challenges with our expertise in library science, business & management studies, corporate finance, financial markets, data science, and other disciplines. We work with licensed and publicly available data sources and are always learning and applying new tools, methodologies, and databases when required to meet our clients’ needs. Licensed data sources frequently used in BRS include Bloomberg, CRSP, Capital IQ, Compustat, Datastream/Eikon, Factset, SDC, Thomson One, and others. Non-licensed sources include Census Bureau, Federal Reserve, World Bank, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and others.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Researches, accesses, and analyzes text and quantitative information and data from printed and digital sources including macroeconomic, financial, accounting, and securities data, and information collected from third-party and non-traditional sources.
• Produces timely, accurate responses to clients’ information needs including answering quick-turnaround requests and supporting longer-term projects.
• Serves faculty research by building and managing spreadsheets and databases, merging data from multiple sources and formats, performing limited statistical analyses, and creating data visualizations representing results of research and analyses.
• Consults and advises HBS researchers as well as BRS colleagues on optimal methodologies and interpretations of results.
• Provides colleagues and clients with training and support for specialized research databases and analytical software in BRS.
• Contributes to the goals and priorities of BRS and KLS through participation in committees, working groups, events, etc.
• Applies and adheres to information research standards to assure that research is of the highest intellectual and ethical quality.
• Other relevant duties as assigned

Working Relationships:

• Works on an adaptive, collaborative team of 8 BRS colleagues. Reports to the Senior Manager, BRS.
• Works closely with HBS faculty, doctoral students, and research associates in a high-touch, customer-focused environment.
• Works closely with subject matter, content, and technical experts across KLS, HBS and the Harvard University community.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 5 years of applicable work experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in accessing and preparing for analysis data from diverse sources and in structured and unstructured formats, using Excel and at least one statistical analysis software package or programming language (SAS, Stata, R, Python, etc.)

Additional Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent graduate education in Finance, Economics, Statistics, Library/Information Science, Business Administration or other relevant disciplines highly preferred.
• Solid understanding of financial concepts and markets; understanding of quantitative/qualitative measures for research application and research methodologies, practices, and tools.
• Experience with gathering, manipulating, and analyzing quantitative data in a research environment, including experience with third-party business data sources.
• Past participation in research, preferably business-related, including accessing and preparing raw data for analysis.
• Highly developed skills and creativity in information research, organization, presentation and delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to instruct others in the use of data sources and data analysis tools in addition to troubleshooting problems, including explaining data to untrained users.
• Consistent record of managing client relationships and superb customer service. This includes setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and sharing workloads and projects with a research team.
•  Our expectations are that employees of HBS adhere to and represent our Community Values. They are:
  • Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others
  • Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community
  • Accountability for personal behavior

Additional Information:

Please note: this is a two-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal.

During the current period of COVID-19 related restrictions, this position may start as a remote position with the transition to onsite at HBS campus in Boston, MA when the office reopens.

While we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility with our interview process. Please note that we will be conducting interviews virtually (phone and or Zoom) for selected candidates until further notice.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

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 at https://www.hbs.edu/employment/.