Research Manager – Education

Job Description

The Center for International Development (CID) is Harvard University’s hub for cutting‑edge research on the world’s most pressing international development issues. Based at Harvard Kennedy School, CID brings researchers and practitioners together across the university to collaborate, using the latest analytical tools to address pressing development challenges. CID organizes global talent worldwide by investing in people, places, and ideas to build a thriving world for all.

The Research Manager will manage and contribute to the design and implementation of a portfolio of education‑focused research initiatives under the direction of Professor Asim Ijaz Khwaja and the Associate Director of Research. Working across multiple projects at various stages of development, the role will contribute to the analytical and operational components of CID’s research, helping to translate faculty priorities into high‑quality, policy‑relevant outputs.

This position is designed as a hybrid role that combines rigorous data analysis with research management and project management responsibilities. The Research Manager will contribute directly to empirical research through data analysis, background research, and written outputs, while also managing the execution of projects through grant development, stakeholder coordination, and research administration processes.

The role requires someone who can move fluidly between technical analytical work and project management, is comfortable working across multiple work streams simultaneously, and can exercise good judgement and independent decision‑making across these multiple functions. Working closely with faculty, research staff, and external partners, the Research Manager will help ensure the successful delivery of research activities, support the development of new initiatives, and contribute to the dissemination of findings to academic and policy audiences.

This position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and may require international travel as needed.

In addition to a strong research background, the successful candidate will have:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear and effective materials for a range of audiences, e.g., drafting and editing policy‑relevant outputs, including policy briefs, reports, presentations, or grant materials.
• Experience working with international partners, including governments, NGOs, or research institutions in low‑and middle‑income countries.
• Experience with grant development, budget coordination, and international project administration.

Research Analysis and Technical Contribution

• Clean, manage, document, and analyze large and complex datasets to support ongoing research projects, using Stata and AI‑assisted coding tools (such as Claude Code).
• Develop and implement analytical approaches for empirical research projects, including designing survey instruments, responding to data requests, producing tables and data visualizations, and selecting research methodologies under the guidance of faculty and senior research staff.
• Independently identify and propose analytical approaches, robustness checks, and data needs to strengthen research design and the development of rigorous, policy‑relevant insights.
• Conduct background research and literature reviews to inform research design and policy‑relevant and academic outputs.
• Draft analytical content for reports, policy briefs, research papers, and other academic outputs.
• Oversee aspects of data collection and fieldwork activities, including coordination with partners, monitoring data quality, identifying implementation challenges, and recommending solutions to ensure research integrity and timely execution.

Research Management, Grants, and Project Coordination

• Manage day‑to‑day implementation of multiple research projects, including establishing timelines and priorities, managing deliverables, and coordinating across collaborators and stakeholders, exercising judgement to ensure effective execution of research activities with oversight from the Associate Director of Research.
• Develop initial drafts of grant…