Manager, Research Data Management and Acquisition

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one of 12 graduate and professional schools at the university. Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match. When you work at Harvard Kennedy School, you make a difference.

Reporting to the Director of Research Computing and Data Services within Research and Library Services (RLS), the Manager of Data Acquisition and Management is responsible for sourcing, licensing, and managing the lifecycle of research data resources used across research projects at Harvard Kennedy School. This role oversees data vendor relationships and contract negotiations; ensures compliant, efficient, and cost-effective acquisition of data resources; and builds systems and policies organizing, storing, and governing institutional data assets. The manager leads a team of research data management staff who create compliant data management plans for contractual and sensitive data use in research projects at HKS. The manager works closely with faculty, researchers, and RLS and IT colleagues to ensure data resources are discoverable, accessible, well-documented, and used in compliance with licensing and data governance requirements.

The Manager serves as a key point of contact for research data acquisition and management for HKS faculty and researchers, internal and external data providers, and University-level offices including the Office of Sponsored Programs, IRB, Office of General Counsel, and others to ensure that research data acquisition supports the School’s public policy research mission while managing legal, financial, and reputational risk.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., data governance, information or library science, law, public policy, research administration).
• 5+ years of experience in data licensing/contracts, research compliance, or a related field, including at least 2 years in a supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating data contracts, licenses, or data use agreements.
• A complete application must include a resume and cover letter.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in the above fields, a plus.
• Experience in a higher education, academic research, or public policy research setting.
• Familiarity with research data management platforms, data enclaves, or secure computing environments.
• Certification in privacy, compliance, or contract management (e.g., CIPP, CRA, CCEP).
• Experience with sensitive data types such as human subjects data, protected health information, or controlled unclassified information (CUI).
• Working knowledge of research compliance frameworks (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA, GDPR, CUI, export control, IRB requirements).
• Strong analytical skills for evaluating contractual risk, liability, and indemnification language.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate legal/contractual language for non-legal audiences.
• Experience developing SOPs, policies, or governance documentation.

Responsibilities

• Manage, lead and identify the appropriate administrative process at Harvard for any given data acquisition, which may require working with the Manager of Library Services & Collections at HKS and/or negotiators in Harvard Library, Strategic Procurement, the Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of General Counsel.
• Interpret and review data license and Data Use Agreement (DUA) terms for compliant use of data at HKS. Work with Harvard units and/or data providers when additional clarity is required.
• Manage licensed data contracts and renewals.
• Build strong relationships with data vendors to enable ongoing positive relationships between HKS and data providers.
• Partner with HKS and Harvard stakeholders to coordinate the review of complex agreements, identify policy and risk considerations, and facilitate appropriate approvals and resolution of contractual issues.
• Lead a team of Data Safety reviewers, working closely with the team to interpret DUA and data license terms into compliant data management plans. Manage, coach, and develop the team while translating RLS strategy into actionable day-to-day work for the team.
• Conduct risk assessments of incoming contractual research data governed by contract or prospectively collected data and identify mitigating strategies including evaluating sensitivity classification, re-identification risk, security requirements, and downstream use restrictions. Advise RLS leadership on acceptable risk thresholds.
• Serve as escalation point for complex or high-risk data compliance issues.
• Develop, maintain, and periodically update SOPs governing access to, use of, and disposition of sensitive and licensed research data at HKS.
• Ensure SOPs align with Harvard University policy, funder/sponsor requirements, and relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Design and maintain workflows and on- and off-boarding processes for HKS faculty and researchers requesting access to licensed or restricted datasets.
• Deliver training and guidance to HKS researchers and RLS staff on data use agreement obligations and compliance requirements.
• Act as primary liaison between HKS faculty and researchers, data providers, Harvard Library and school libraries, Harvard’s Office of General Counsel, and university compliance offices throughout the data acquisition lifecycle.
• Provide regular reporting to the Chief Research Enablement Officer, Director of Research Computing and Data Services, Director of Library Services, and Manager of Library Services & Collections on the School’s data licensing portfolio, compliance status, and risk exposure.
• Represent HKS and Harvard in discussions with data vendors, consortia, and peer institutions on licensing and data-sharing matters.

Benefits

• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager