Behavioral Research Specialist

Job Summary:

The Behavioral Research Specialist supports the development and implementation of behavioral research studies across lab, online, and field settings. Reporting to the Director of Behavioral Research Services and collaborating with faculty, doctoral students, research assistants, and research staff, this role has a primary focus on building, testing, and deploying studies in Qualtrics while supporting high-quality research implementation and participant experience.

This position is well suited for a detail-oriented individual with strong research and organizational skills, experience working with survey and research platforms, and interest in behavioral research methods and operations. The role requires the ability to execute research implementation tasks across multiple studies in a collaborative, service focused environment.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Survey & Experiment Development/Research Implementation

Build, test, and deploy surveys and behavioral research studies using Qualtrics and related research platforms

Apply advanced Qualtrics functionality (e.g., randomization, loop and merge, embedded data, display logic, and integrations) to support complex study designs

Support faculty and research staff in study setup, protocol implementation, survey flow refinement, protocol implementation, and participant experience considerations

Conduct testing and quality review of surveys and research instruments prior to study launch

Support implementation of behavioral studies across lab, online, and field research environments

Research Operations & Study Support

Maintain research documentation, operational records, shared team resources, and researcher-facing materials such as study guides, templates, and process documentation

Support compliance with IRB protocols and human subjects research requirements

Coordinate with internal partners, vendors, and online participant recruitment platforms to support study execution

Stay current on relevant research tools and technologies and share useful updates and operational practices with the BRS team

Support research workflow coordination using project tracking, financial tracking and participant management tools

Participant & Lab Operations

Support day-to-day operations of the BeLab, including study preparation, lab scheduling, run participants through study-specific protocols, technology setup, troubleshooting, and coordination with IT and Operations

Recruit, maintain, and engage a diverse participant pool through approved outreach and communication strategies. Coordinate participant communications, reminders and inquiry responses.

Support processing of participant payments and related operational tasks in accordance with university policies

Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents

Is responsible for other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent is required.

5+ years of directly related and specific experience supporting behavioral research studies, research coordination, or related operational activities is required.

Education beyond high school may count toward experience.

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) experience is a must.

Experience supporting survey development, behavioral research studies, and participant management activities

Proficiency with Qualtrics or similar survey platforms, including experience with survey logic, randomization, and embedded data features

Experience with participant management and online participant recruitment platforms (e.g., Prolific, SONA, Cint, CloudResearch)

Familiarity with scripting or programming languages that support survey functionality or research workflows

Experience with IRB protocols and human subjects research compliance requirements

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

Bachelor’s degree related to behavioral research required (e.g., psychology, economics, sociology, marketing, public policy) highly preferred

Master’s degree or equivalent graduate training in a behavioral or social science field preferred

Experience in research lab operations or academic research environments

Familiarity with user experience considerations in survey or research study implementation

Experience with participant outreach and engagement activities in research settings

Interest in applying emerging tools (e.g., LLMs) relevant to behavioral research operations.

Strong organizational skills and experience using project or task tracking tools

Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week, overtime eligible position.

Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position

Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Criminal

Other Information: ​​​​​​ This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and…