"Research Manager"

Job Description

The Research Manager will be part of a growing team at the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University. The Research Manager’s primary responsibility is to lead analyses and be the hub for CEPR research projects – working with PIs, a team of research analysts, and external research partners to assure the timely execution of CEPR’s research projects. In particular, the person in this RM position will likely be working on the States Leading States project, a multiyear collaborative initiative with state education agencies to rigorously answer pressing policy questions on topics such as time spent learning (attendance, summer school programs, etc.), promoting math and literacy achievement, and strengthening college and career readiness.

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. By generating relevant and accessible research, developing technical and organizational capacity to use evidence, and creating a community of schools and systems dedicated to using evidence for progress, CEPR helps researchers and practitioners uncover and share the best of what works—and what doesn’t—in education. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Analysis:

• Lead the development of new analyses, including proposing research questions, identifying policies poised for evaluation, and determining appropriate analyses;
• Writing pre-analysis plans detailing planned analyses, key variables, and deliverables to coordinate workflows and enable alignment with open science principles;
• Guide and teach others in the appropriate use of statistical methods;
• Gather and act on feedback and suggestions from faculty, principal investigators, and senior researchers; and
• Quickly identify anomalies in results and conduct further analyses to explain.

Programming:

• Perform complex programming tasks;
• Teach others in formal and informal settings;
• Apportion programming tasks across analysts to improve efficiency of the team;
• Ensure code is appropriately quality controlled and documented.

Partner Relations and Communications:

• Participate in presenting key research findings to internal and external academic and non‐academic audiences; and
• Contribute to drafting reports and presentations for partner leadership, including state education leaders, school boards, superintendents, and principals.

Teamwork and Management:

• Manage successful completion of significant portions of larger projects including: Developing work plans; Meeting deadlines; Ensuring work meets highest quality standards; Producing presentations and reports; Coordinating with PIs and/or project directors; and Working with external partners (districts, organizations, etc.);
• Work collaboratively with an Associate Director of Research to provide analytic guidance, manage workflows, and manage staff;
• Train, develop and supervise junior staff; and
• Maintain open and clear communication with PI / project director

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, public policy, statistics, computer science or a related field, prior to starting in the position;
• At least 5 plus years of professional work experience (relevant coursework may count towards this experience);
• Project and/or people management experience; and
• Strong facility with Stata.

Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document. Any applicant wishing to be considered for this position should indicate that they meet all of the basic requirements in either the cover letter or resume.

Candidates who move beyond an initial phone screen will be required to complete a case study, submit sample code, and provide a writing sample. Candidates invited to a final round will be required to give a presentation on their prior work.

This position is a term appointment for one year from the date of hire, with a strong possibility of continuation. The position is currently a hybrid position with 3 days in the Cambridge office and 2 days remote.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience managing multiple staff;
• Experience working with data of varying quality and from varied source systems;
• Knowledgeable of statistical methods and their appropriate uses;
• Able to identify methodological challenges, and have the capacity to resolve them or raise the issues to the appropriate level;
• Able to synthesize and present findings to both technical and non‐technical audiences;
• Able to describe methods to both technical and non-technical audiences, including trade‐offs between methods;
• Proven ability to work under pressure, accurately assess problems, and develop solutions;
• Experience working with (or in) education or the public sector preferred;
• Demonstrated success managing completion of full research projects a plus;
• Knowledge of enterprise data management systems/tools a plus;
• Familiarity with R a plus;
• Familiarity with Python a plus; and
• Masters or doctorate degree strongly preferred.

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date: 1 year from Date of Hire
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Compensation Range/Rate (including Shift Differential if applicable):
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity and Education
• Work Format Details: This is a position that is based at a Harvard campus location with some remote work options available. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.
• Salary Grade and Ranges: This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.
• Benefits: Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: Generous paid time off including parental leave; Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one; Retirement plans with university contributions; Wellbeing and mental health resources; Support for families and caregivers; Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement; Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks. Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.