Associate Director of Research Operations

Job Description

Job Summary:

HGSE is a diverse community of learners, teachers, and employees who are passionate about changing the world by improving education. The Associate Director of Research Operations will be part of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

The Associate Director of Research Operations is responsible for the administrative operations of CEPR’s analytic team:  allocating research staff across existing projects, ensuring that new project proposals have sufficient staffing, recruiting and onboarding new staff, coordinating with project directors to provide feedback to existing staff, identifying training opportunities for research staff, managing data use agreements and submissions to the Institutional Review Board. The Associate Director of Research Operations will report to the Executive Director and will work closely with the Faculty Director and Director of Research Initiatives for College and Career Success. They will also coordinate with CEPR’s other Associate Directors of Research. The Associate Director will be expected to develop workflows and systems to ensure that CEPR’s research remains compliant with data use agreements and human subjects’ research protections and is appropriately staffed. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities

1. Research Pipeline & Resource Management (45%)

The Associate Director will ensure that each project is appropriately resourced, coordinating across internal staff and external research partners to do so.

• Ensure that new project proposals are clear in scope and appropriately resourced to meet project timelines. 
• Build and maintain a system for allocating staff, managing staff workloads, and project timelines.   
• Inform hiring and pipeline management decisions
• Partner with Directors of Research, Project Directors, and PIs to allocate staff, flag when staff are overburdened, and model tradeoffs when priorities conflict

2. Operational Systems & Compliance (25%)

The Associate Director leads operational process improvement and ensures the team remains in compliance with data use agreements and human research subject protections.

• Maintain a compliance calendar and coordinate adherence to requirements including data use agreements, IRB protocols, funder reporting deadlines, and data privacy standards
• Coordinate with Harvard IT on computing needs
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures related to data handling, access controls, and use restrictions; serve as a point of escalation for compliance questions and incidents, connecting staff to appropriate institutional or legal resources

3. Talent Development & Team Infrastructure (30%)

The Associate Director owns the full staff lifecycle for the analytic team—from recruitment through offboarding.

• Coordinate recruitment logistics including job postings, candidate scheduling, and offer communication in partnership with HR and hiring managers; own onboarding infrastructure including checklists, systems access coordination, introductory materials, and 30/60/90-day frameworks
• Lead offboarding for departing staff—knowledge transfer, systems access revocation, file organization, and continuity planning—and lead project close-out processes including archival, final documentation, and lessons-learned capture
• Maintain a living library of SOPs, process guides, and onboarding materials; develop and enforce documentation standards and facilitate team trainings as needed
• Develop and manage early career pipeline opportunities, including internships, pre-doctoral programs, and related initiatives

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in research operations, program operations, project management, or a closely related field
• Experience working in or in direct support of quantitative social science research
• Demonstrated success designing and managing operational systems—such as intake workflows, allocation models, or documentation ecosystems—in a research, academic, policy, or similarly complex environment
• Strong systems-thinking skills: comfort identifying process gaps, designing solutions, and building for scale
• Experience with project management platforms and workflow tools; comfort evaluating and adopting new operational platforms
• The position is currently a hybrid position with 3 days in the Cambridge office and 2 days remote. 
• Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter. Any applicant wishing to be considered for this position must indicate that they meet all the basic requirements in either the cover letter or resume.
• This position is a term appointment for one year from the date of hire, with a strong possibility of continuation. 

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., social science, public policy, information science, research administration, or related discipline)
• Experience with university-based research processes, including familiarity with sponsored research, IRB administration, and academic PI workflows
• Familiarity with research compliance frameworks (data use agreements, funder requirements, data privacy)
• Experience in resource management or staff allocation
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Asana and no-code or low-code automation tools
• Exceptional organizational skills and judgment about prioritization under competing demands
• Strong communicator with experience coordinating across researchers, PIs, administrative staff, and leadership
• Experience supervising or formally mentoring at least one staff member

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date: One year from start of hire
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Compensation Range/Rate (including Shift Differential if applicable): $130,000 - $133,000 commensurate with experience
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity and Education
  
  
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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 058. 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

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.

Salary Grade: 058