Research Associate
Job Summary
A Research Associate is a Member of the Harvard Business School India Research Center’s (IRC) Research team.
With faculty guidance and Senior Case Researcher or Associate Director’s involvement and supervision, the
Research Associate supports the faculty as they develop HBS case studies and course materials. He or she
manages timelines, drafts and deliverables; creates basic case components (e.g., tables, charts, graphs); learns
to use the HBS case template and follows case submission procedures; develops familiarity with other course
materials such as teaching notes, teaching plans, module notes and course overview notes.
Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting to the Associate Director – Research, a Research Associate’s responsibilities include but are not
limited to, supporting the research and education efforts of the IRC, working on furthering the depth and
breadth of teaching materials and research products for HBS by working closely with a variety of faculty
members doing work in the region. The Research Associate will be responsible for performing research,
including on-site field research to support case facts. The Research Associate will need to gather information
and data through interviews, on-line research, reviewing financial statements and related materials including
libraries, government and other resources.
May be asked to develop questionnaires, synthesize information and prepare exhibits. In addition, the
Research Associate will need to develop written materials including cases, course materials, articles and related
items. The Research Associate will support the education and field experiments of the school, working on
furthering the outreach efforts of HBS by interacting with students, faculty, staff, alumni and corporate
partners. May be asked to attend conferences, research meetings, and gatherings where latest ideas, initiatives
and research topics are shared. This position may involve regional and international travel, including visits to
the HBS campus.
Requirements
Degree – BA/BS or equivalent required. The candidate should also have some relevant professional experience
(minimum of one year).
Skills Required & Preferred: The candidate should demonstrate excellent writing and research skills that can be
further enhanced via on-the-job training. This means that the candidate must be able to seek and receive
feedback with intent and grace. The candidate should be highly proficient in MS Office Applications including
Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The number of projects a Research Associate manages will continue to grow over
the course of his or her tenure, so the ability to work to multiple deadlines, autonomously but as part of a
team, is key. Industry expertise in a focus area for IRC faculty clients and HBS curriculum is a plus.
Researcher
Job Summary
A Researcher is a Member of the Harvard Business School India Research Center’s (IRC) Research team. He or
she is an effective case writer and course development partner for the HBS faculty. He or she works with
faculty guidance to develop HBS case studies and course materials including teaching notes and teaching plans
and multimedia materials. He or she manages timelines, drafts and deliverables; and is proficient at creating all
case components (e.g., tables, charts, graphs) as well as the case template, case policy and case submission. He
or she might start to take on complicated projects as experience and expertise grow.
Duties & Responsibilities
Reporting to the Associate Director – Research, Researcher is responsible for his or her portfolio of projects,
which range from cases to multimedia materials. The Researcher’s portfolio of projects will grow with some
more complex projects as he or she becomes not just effective but also efficient and at ease with HBS
processes. He or she will be expected to be highly productive, represent HBS well in interviews, remain up to
date on business issues and faculty interests and continually invest in his or her understanding of business
concepts and disciplines, and continually strive to improve his or her understanding of HBS case pedagogy.
His or her responsibilities include but are not limited to, supporting the research and education efforts of IRC,
working on furthering the depth and breadth of teaching materials and research products for HBS by working
closely with a variety of faculty members doing work in the region. He or she will be responsible for performing
research, including on-site field research to support case facts. He or she will need to gather information and
data through interviews, on-line research, reviewing financial statements and related materials including
libraries, government and other resources.
May be asked to develop questionnaires, synthesize information and prepare exhibits. In addition, he or she
will need to develop written materials including cases, course materials, articles and related items. The
Researcher will support the education and field experiments of the school, working on furthering the outreach
efforts of HBS by interacting with students, faculty, staff, alumni and corporate partners. The Researcher will be
responsible for building strong relationships with selected corporates, in connection with furthering research
and education efforts of HBS. May be asked to attend or organize conferences, research meetings, and
gatherings where latest ideas, initiatives and research topics are shared. This position may involve regional and
international travel, including visits to the HBS campus.
Requirements
Degree - A Master’s degree is required from a renowned Indian or international university. The candidate
should also have some relevant professional experience (minimum of three years).
Skills Required & Preferred: The candidate should demonstrate strong writing, research and interpersonal
skills; ability to manage multiple projects with shifting deadlines and evolving scope; excellent casewriting
skills; able to give and receive feedback; proven ability to analyze financial data; and, ability to work
independently while seeking guidance as needed from peers and faculty clients.
The candidate should be highly proficient in MS Office Applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Industry expertise in a focus area for IRC faculty clients and HBS curriculum is a plus.