This position has been filled.

Senior Researcher,Harvard Business School Africa Research Center

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa with additional travel required across sub-Saharan Africa.

Background:
The Africa Research Center (ARC) is one of eight global research centers and seven regional offices, established by the HBS Global Initiative to assist the school's faculty in connecting to business leaders in various strategic regions for research and preparation of case studies. The Africa Research Center is in Johannesburg, South Africa, with an office in Lagos, Nigeria and covers sub-Saharan Africa. The Senior Researcher will serve as a key source of new research and curriculum content in a wide range of fields including finance, technology, marketing, accounting and control, strategy, and entrepreneurship.

Duties & Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Executive Director of the Africa Research Center based in Johannesburg, the Senior Researcher will work closely with HBS faculty managing research projects, performing in-depth field and secondary source research, and supporting other HBS-wide activities, including admissions, external and alumni relations. This position will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with additional travel required.

Working in close collaboration with the Executive Director of the Africa Research Center, the Senior Researcher will be responsible for developing case studies about sub-Saharan African companies for the HBS MBA and Executive Education programs.

The Senior Researcher will be responsible for:
• Identifying potential case study subjects for proposal to the Director of the Africa Research Office and presenting case leads to HBS faculty.
• Maintaining and extending relationships within the candidate’s existing knowledge/country/sector networks, which can contribute immediately to the development of intellectual capital at HBS.
• Conducting on-site interviews with senior company and government officials alongside HBS faculty.
• Gathering and synthesizing data from a variety of sources leveraging online resources, statistical and financial reports.
• Writing high-impact, well-documented and compelling case studies.
• Supporting other HBS-wide activities, including admissions, alumni, and external relations.

Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years business experience required
Additional Qualifications:
MBA preferred (HBS strongly preferred), with outstanding academic record.
Strong knowledge of sub-Saharan Africa and work experience on the continent are required.
Experience of delivering a range of research outputs, including reports, articles, presentations, and summaries is required.
Strong skills in written and spoken English required, proficiency in French or Portuguese beneficial.
Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills required. Candidate must (i) demonstrate an ability to work independently while establishing strong, collaborative working relationships and (ii) take direction from a project leader to meet the highest standards of academic rigor.
Other desired skills include proven effectiveness in a consultative role and strong proficiency in developing contacts with academics and business leaders on behalf of an academic institution.

Interested applicants should send their cover letter and resume with the subject line: Africa Research Center - Senior Researcher to: Tafadzwa Choruma at tchoruma@hbs.edu