Predoctoral Research Associate in Finance (Summer 2027), Division of Research and Faculty Development

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Harvard Business School, located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, was founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University. It is among the world's most trusted sources of management education and thought leadership. For more than a century, the School's faculty has combined a passion for teaching with rigorous research conducted alongside practitioners at world-leading organizations to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, learning, and entrepreneurship that includes MBA, Doctoral, Executive Education, and Online programs, as well as numerous initiatives, centers, institutes, and labs, Harvard Business School fosters bold new ideas and collaborative learning networks that shape the future of business.

Harvard Business School (HBS) is seeking multiple Predoctoral Research Associates starting in summer 2027 to support faculty research in the Finance unit. Associates will typically work with two faculty members, with some working with up to three.

Participating faculty include Professors Sam Antill, Shawn Cole, Mark Egan, Paul Gompers, Robin Greenwood, Sebastian Hillenbrand, Elisabeth Kempf, Max Miller, Ishita Sen, Erik Stafford, Adi Sunderam and Philippe van der Beck. Research associates and faculty members will be matched based on mutual research interests. Professors Adi Sunderam and Mark Egan will serve as faculty mentors for the cohort.

Research projects may include, but are not limited to, financial markets, asset pricing, empirical corporate finance, banking and financial institutions, household and corporate finance, financial technology, macro-finance, and the application of financial concepts, data, and frameworks to questions in business and economics.

The multi-faculty research model is designed for researchers to support multiple faculty members across a portfolio of academic research projects rather than working exclusively with one faculty member.

Researchers will see the full research process, gain exposure to several faculty projects, and receive mentorship in preparation for future studies. This opportunity is particularly well suited to candidates who hope to pursue a PhD in finance or economics. Please describe your interest in the multi-faculty Finance model and any relevant faculty or research areas in your cover letter.

More information on career outcomes, including PhD programs recent Predoctoral Research Associates attended, can be seen here: https://www.hbs.edu/ra/predoctoral.

Overview: The Predoctoral Research Associate position reports directly to the primary faculty mentors and other Finance faculty participating in the cohort, with administrative support from the Research Staff Services office. The multi-faculty model provides opportunities to contribute to multiple projects, collaborate with different faculty members and research teams, and develop a broad understanding of the research process. Ideal candidates will be comfortable in an environment that requires a high level of independence, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and the ability to use discretionary judgment.

Primary duties:

• Work under the general direction of participating Finance faculty on academic research projects across financial markets, financial concepts, financial data, and financial frameworks.
• Support multiple faculty members and projects, adapting to different research questions, methods, timelines, and working styles while maintaining high-quality and organized project workflows.
• Contribute to the full research process, including developing research questions, reviewing academic literature, collecting and assembling data, designing empirical analyses, interpreting results, and preparing findings for faculty review.
• Develop, design, conduct, analyze, and implement research using data science knowledge and prior knowledge of requested statistical packages. Perform statistical programming and, where relevant, use natural language processing or other computational methods.
• Manage and manipulate financial and economic data using requested packages, such as STATA, Python, R, or MATLAB. Document data sources, code, workflows, and outputs so that analyses are reproducible and can be shared across projects.
• Prepare research memos, literature reviews, tables, figures, presentations, case materials, and other written or analytical products that communicate research progress and findings clearly to faculty and research collaborators.
• Use mentorship and feedback from multiple faculty members to deepen knowledge of finance and develop the research skills, judgment, and professional habits needed for future academic study, including doctoral study in finance or a related field.
• Ensure compliance with department, University, and federal regulations. Complete work with only general direction. Be aware of department, School, University policies and potential outside research policies.
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents.
• Responsible for other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a GPA above 3.5 is required.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Ability to read academic, subject-specific information and write a reasoned and thoughtful analysis, as well as produce a creative interpretation. 
• Evidence of prior high-quality, original academic writing, and background in analysis and interpretation of relevant data, research, news, and literature is helpful.
• Proven evidence of independent research in specific advanced field of study.
• The candidate must have extremely high standards in terms of quality of work, attention to detail, strong organization skills, and absolute commitment to task completion. Must be able to balance multiple tasks and shifting priorities under tight deadlines at an accelerated pace when necessary.
• It is helpful if the candidate is familiar with navigating a complex organization, such as Harvard Business School.  

• Appointment End Date: June 30, 2028. These are term appointments starting summer 2027 through June 30, 2028, with an expectation of reappointment until June 30, 2028, based on funding and performance. All Predoctoral Research Associate roles at HBS are structured as one-year term appointments, but faculty strongly prefer candidates willing to commit for two years.

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week

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

• Pre-Employment Screening: Education, Identity

• Other Information:
  • For full consideration, please apply by December 7, 2026. Applicants will continued to be reviewed until all positions are filled. 
  • 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 a minimum of 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, transcript, and a code sample to be reviewed by an HBS statistician. Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. 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 055. 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. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

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