Information Research Specialist

The Information Research Specialist is a valued member of Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library at Harvard Business School.

Working in the Curriculum & Learning Services (CLS) unit, you would be part of a dynamic team of information specialists and librarians who provide research and course support to a wide variety of audiences including Harvard Business School (HBS) faculty, students, program participants, and alumni, as well as Harvard University affiliates and visiting researchers. We bring the library into the classroom through in-class presentations, course information products and assignment-specific research drop-in sessions. The unit is charged with extending and leveraging current research, course support and collection-related activities to new and existing audiences. 

Working Relationships: 

• Reports to the Manager, Customer Engagement, Curriculum & Learning Services.

• ​Works closely with HBS faculty, HBS students and program participants, alumni, University affiliates and visiting researchers. 

• Contributes to the goals and priorities of Curriculum & Learning Services and Knowledge and Library Services. 

• Works closely with subject matter, content, and technical experts across Knowledge and Library Services, HBS and the Harvard University community. 

Responsibilities: 

• Provides research support in a variety of formats (in-person, email, phone, chat, etc.) and in different ways (ready reference, in-depth reference and scheduled individual or team research consultations).

• Acts as a liaison to HBS faculty units; identifies and designs research support models that align with curriculum objectives.

• Demonstrates highly-developed skills and creativity in information research, writing, instruction, presentation and delivery. Possesses excellent critical thinking skills and superb customer service.

• Assists researchers in accessing and extracting information from a variety of formats and sources (e.g., web, primary materials, and secondary materials) for course assignments, career research entrepreneurial activities, etc. 

• Curates news for a series of current awareness newsletters distributed to HBS students, faculty and administrative units.

• Develops and maintains web content within the Baker Library discovery platform and content management system.

• Participates in Baker Library and Harvard Library committees, working groups, events, etc. 

• Engages as a member of the Customer Engagement team within CLS. 

Basic Qualifications

Master’s degree or equivalent graduate education in Library/Information Science, Economics, Social Sciences, Business Administration or other relevant discipline. 

Minimum 5+ years of applicable work experience. 

Additional Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of business topics including corporate finance, accounting, business history, etc.; solid understanding of business and economics concepts and related quantitative measures. 

• Expert knowledge of business information sources—standard third-party business databases including, but not limited to Bloomberg, CapIQ, Factset, and Thomson One;  as well as market research sources including but not limited to EMIS, IBISWorld, Mintel and Passport. Experience with business literature databases (Factiva, ProQuest, EBSCO); tools and strategies for searching through them; and integrating them with data from other sources. 

• Able to produce timely, high quality results under pressure. 

• Demonstrated record of managing client relationships, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines and sharing workloads and projects with a research team. 

• Demonstrated ability to work well with others. Ability to collaborate and contribute to group projects and participate on committees and working groups within the department, across Knowledge and Library Services, and across the Harvard Library. 

• Work experience in an academic environment or a specialized library. 

Additional Information

Note: During the academic term, evening and weekend hours will be required.
 

• Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others

• Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community

• Accountability for personal behavior

Who you are:

• You are an agile information professional energized by building positive, empowering relationships and earning the trust of students, faculty and staff

• You have solid career experiences and a diverse tool kit

• You can assess new environments and know when to apply established approaches and when to develop new solutions

• You aren’t satisfied just giving the answer, instead you want to really understand the question in order to provide exemplary research support

• You’re talented at leveraging available research resources to enhance user experience

• You can thrive in a high-touch, customer-focused environment 

• You find navigating through ambiguity more exhilarating than frustrating

• You’re committed to working on a team where we believe that all of us are better and smarter than one of us

• You thrill in an adaptive, collaborative environment

Why you’ll love this job:

• Make an impact by meaningfully engaging with the HBS and Harvard community supporting new research and ideas

• Join a group of talented staff committed to excellence in the delivery of our mission to Educate Leaders Who Make A Difference In The World

• Learn something new every day – resources, topics, industries, trends, research techniques and much more

• Competitive salary & benefits as well as a commitment to a sustainable work-life integration 

Cover Letter is Required.