"Assistant Director for Research, Middle East Initiative"

Job Description

MEI seeks a quantitatively-oriented social scientist with deep knowledge of the Middle East to join our team as an Assistant Director for Research. Reporting to and under the direction of the Faculty Director, this new position will lead the development and implementation of MEI’s in-house research portfolio. The successful candidate will also play a central role in exploring and developing new opportunities for collaborative projects and will become a key member of MEI’s leadership team, working closely with the Faculty Director to drive MEI’s intellectual output.

The successful candidate will be motivated, resourceful, a self-starter, and a team-player with the ability to meet deadlines, solve problems, track multiple projects and deliverables, and communicate clearly and professionally with a broad range of stakeholders—including donors, scholars, and research partners in the field. Experience leading research projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a must.

• Play a leading role in developing and managing MEI’s in-house research portfolio, including peer-reviewed research, policy briefs, and case studies to be used in teaching at Harvard and beyond.
• Design high quality systems for research management and ensure effective implementation. Key areas include IRB approval, secure data management, ethical use of human subjects in large field-based research studies, coding protocols, etc.
• Identify, assess and develop opportunities for new research engagements
• Directly contribute to the analytical and content-driven activities of MEI’s research work through collaboratively-authored background papers, policy briefs, case studies, and peer-reviewed research publications.
• Help build and expand partnerships with policy and research institutions and universities, contribute to building and maintaining productive relationships with current and potential funders, and effectively represent MEI and faculty researchers at relevant conferences and in meetings with senior policy partners
• Recruit, supervise, and mentor research assistants
• Play a key role in designing and implementing MEI research workshops and conferences
• Travel to the region as needed to manage field-based research activities
• Participate in selection processes for various MEI research programs, including fellowships and research awards

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in political science, economics, or sociology required.
• Minimum seven years professional work experience in conducting original research; a combination of doctoral-level education and experience may be considered.
• Experience leading research projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) required.
• To be considered, applications must include a cover letter and writing sample.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Ability to manage large research teams.
• Experience with statistical programming in either R or Stata.
• Experience conducting original research using the following methodologies: Elite interviews, Commissioning and analyzing population surveys, Conducting survey and field experiments, Quantitative analysis of observational data, including popular social science datasets such as V-dem, the World Bank Governance Indicators, etc.
• Experience writing research and grant proposals.
• Experience shepherding research projects through Institutional Review Board and Peer Review.
• Fluency (reading and writing) in a regional language (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or Hebrew) a strong plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to take initiative, manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and work independently.
• Excellent time-management skills
• Ability to treat sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to forge strong collaborative working relationships with diverse constituencies and colleagues.

Additional Information

Application Instructions: To be considered, your application must include a cover letter and a writing sample: No more than 50 pages, Must include an abstract of 300 words or less, Will preferably be single-authored, Can be either published or unpublished, Examples include: policy brief, journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, or white paper you have produced in your field.

Appointment End Date: This is a fully benefits eligible one year term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week

Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position

Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education

Work Format Details: This position is based on-site at a Harvard campus location in Cambridge, MA, 5 days/week.