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Harvard University · 8 hours ago

Research Analyst

Cambridge, MA

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid Level

3+ years exp

Harvard University is a prestigious institution committed to innovation and collaboration. The Research Analyst role involves supporting the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics by preparing institutional reports, managing data collections, and ensuring data accuracy for compliance and decision support.

EducationHigher EducationUniversities

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Responsibilities

Prepare and validate data submissions for federal, state, and external agencies

Extract, clean, and format data from Harvard’s central systems and data warehouse to support recurring institutional reports and ad hoc requests

Collaborate with the Assistant Director and other OIRA team members to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and methodological integrity

Maintain documentation of data sources, methods, and submission requirements for assigned reports

Support the creation of internal and external fact sheets, dashboards, and benchmarking analyses

Track key deliverables and deadlines for assigned reports within the annual OIRA reporting calendar

Coordinate with data providers and stakeholders across the University (e.g., Registrars, HUIT, OFSP, Financial Aid offices) to collect, review, and confirm data inputs

Contribute to process improvements by documenting workflows, identifying data issues, and recommending enhancements to reporting efficiency and accuracy

Assist with quality assurance reviews of institutional data products prior to publication or submission

Conduct descriptive analyses and prepare visualizations to communicate institutional trends in areas such as enrollment, financial aid, faculty, and student outcomes

Support OIRA’s development of canonical datasets and internal reporting tools (e.g., Fact Book, dashboards, or Tableau/R visualizations)

Contribute to benchmarking and peer comparison analyses

Work collaboratively within OIRA’s reporting and analytics teams, sharing knowledge, tools, and best practices

Engage in professional development to strengthen technical and analytic skills in data management, visualization, and higher education policy

Demonstrate commitment to OIRA’s values of accuracy, transparency, collaboration, and service

Qualification

Data analysisData visualizationData managementRPythonSQLTableauClear communicationProject managementCollaborationInitiative

Required

Bachelor's degree in a quantitative, social science, or education-related field (e.g., statistics, economics, public policy, data science, or higher education administration); or an equivalent amount of experience

At least three years of relevant experience involving data analysis, reporting, or research in a higher education, nonprofit, or government setting

Demonstrated experience working with structured datasets and producing analytical or reporting outputs for internal or external audiences

Preferred

Experience using data analysis and visualization tools such as R, Python, SQL, Stata, or Tableau

Familiarity with higher education data systems and reporting requirements, including IPEDS, accreditation reporting, and national survey participation

Strong data management and documentation skills, including data cleaning, transformation, and validation

Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines while maintaining attention to detail

Clear written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain data and methods to nontechnical audiences

Demonstrated initiative, curiosity, and collaborative spirit

Commitment to integrity, confidentiality, and professional ethics in handling institutional data