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The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872), Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.
Job DescriptionJob Summary:
The Laboratory for Developmental Studies in the Psychology department has a position open for a full-time research assistant. Research in the lab is focused on exploring the cognitive development of infants and children, with an emphasis on perception and knowledge of objects, numbers, places, geometry, and people. Further projects in the lab include the development of numerical, geometrical, social-cognitive, and reading abilities in preschool and elementary school-aged children, with a focus on testing interventions to enhance children's readiness for learning across such domains. The candidate will report directly to the P.I., a Professor of Cognitive Developmental Psychology, and will be responsible for managing and overseeing the daily activities of two lab spaces dedicated to running research studies with infants, toddlers, and children, and coordinating lab-wide remote testing.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include supervising undergraduate research assistants, coordinating testing spaces and study schedules, assisting with preparation of grant applications and progress reports, maintaining the lab manual, executing specific research experiments, assisting in quality data collection and management, and ensuring compliance with all regulations regarding testing human subjects.
In addition, the candidate will act as the primary liaison between the lab and both the Psychology Business Office and the Harvard IRB as well as lab-related courses, coordinating all lab purchases, applications for human subjects research approval, and updating websites. Further, the candidate will work actively with the Open Science Framework to register studies, methodology, and data. The candidate will perform other related duties as well, depending on the needs of the lab, including interacting with families of participants, visiting students, and others.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
At least one year of experience in psychology, biology, cognitive science or related field is required. Relevant coursework may count toward experience.
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in psychology, biology, or cognitive science and will embrace the challenges of a demanding workload involving multiple research projects. Experience with infants and toddlers desirable, because the candidate will be called upon to confidently and professionally work with families on a daily basis. Proficiency with Zoom, Word, Excel, and Google docs/calendar is necessary for day-to-day functioning of the lab, as is familiarity with online research tools (e.g. Qualtrics, Lookit) and search databases (e.g. FileMaker). Familiarity with other tools and languages like HTML, JavaScript, R, and Blender is highly desirable. Must be confident working both independently as well as with others in a high-paced, and in an in-person and remote, research environment. Must demonstrate an ability to pay close attention to detail and should possess excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Additional Information- Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
- Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
- Pre-Employment Screening: Identity
- Other Information:
This is a one-year, grant-funded term position with renewal dependent upon continuation of grant funding.
All formal offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.
Work Format Details
This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that all duties and responsibilities must be performed at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location. Certain visa types may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.
Salary Grade and Ranges
This position is salary grade level 052. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.
Benefits
Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Generous paid time off including parental leave
- Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
- Retirement plans with university contributions
- Wellbeing and mental health resources
- Support for families and caregivers
- Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
- Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks
Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.
EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement
Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.
Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.
Skills Required
- At least one year of experience in psychology, biology, cognitive science, or a related field (relevant coursework may count).
- Proficiency with Zoom, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, and Google Calendar.
- Familiarity with online research tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Lookit) and search/databases (e.g., FileMaker).
- Experience working with infants and toddlers and interacting professionally with participant families.
- Ability to register studies and work actively with the Open Science Framework (OSF).
- Excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently and in teams.
- Bachelor's degree in psychology, biology, cognitive science, or related field.
- Experience supervising undergraduate research assistants or coordinating lab activities.
- Familiarity with HTML, JavaScript, R, and Blender.
Harvard Business School Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Harvard Business School and has not been reviewed or approved by Harvard Business School.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is considered broad, covering vacation, sick and personal days, numerous paid holidays including a winter recess, and paid parental leave. This breadth is positioned as a core part of the total rewards package.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage includes multiple medical plan options alongside dental, vision, FSAs/HSAs, and specialized support for high medical costs. This range of options is framed as competitive with large private employers.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a university tax‑deferred 403(b) with automatic enrollment and escalation plus additional pension/retirement programs for eligible groups. These features are presented as part of a strong long‑term financial benefits offering.
Harvard Business School Insights
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