Senior Associate, QIS Operations

HarbourVest Partners•Boston, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

For over forty years, HarbourVest has been home to a committed team of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to deliver impactful solutions to our clients and investing partners. As our global firm grows, we continue to add individuals who seek a collaborative, open-door culture that values diversity and innovative thinking. In our collegial environment that’s marked by low turnover and high energy, you’ll be inspired to grow and thrive. Here, you will be encouraged to build on your strengths and acquire new skills and experiences. We are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that promotes mutual respect among all employees. Understanding and valuing these differences optimizes the potential of both the individual and the firm. HarbourVest is an equal opportunity employer. This position will be a hybrid work arrangement. You will receive 18 remote workdays per quarter to use at your discretion, subject to manager approval. For example, you may choose to work in the office 4 days per week and take one remote day weekly (typically 13 weeks per quarter), leaving 5 additional remote days to be used as needed. The Senior Associate, Quantitative Investment Science Operations will serve as a critical enablement partner to the Managing Director — helping translate priorities into action, ensuring commitments are tracked, and supporting effective communication and operating rhythm across the QIS organization. The role is highly detail-oriented and delivery-focused, with success driven by reliability, structure, and the ability to keep work moving forward smoothly. The ideal candidate is someone who : Builds simple systems to track decisions, actions, and deadlines. Is a self-starter, able to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Maintains composure under pressure; and is comfortable with intensity, ambiguity, and fast-changing priorities—able to push back respectfully and follow up persistently to drive closure.

Requirements

Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Strong written and verbal communication abilities (especially the ability to draft clear, concise leader-ready materials).
The ability to turn rough inputs into clear, concise written output.
Proactive, dependable, and comfortable managing complexity.
Able to work through ambiguity with direction from senior leadership.
Trusted partner who builds credibility through consistency and follow-through
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work cross-functionally and at all organizational levels
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word)
Proficiency in utilizing AI for initial email triage, drafting responses, summarizing complex documents and lengthy email threads to prioritize urgent business matters, and producing presentations.
5+ years in management consulting, project management, business operations, investment operations, finance, program/project management, or a similar execution-oriented role.

Nice To Haves

Asset management experience is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Support the Managing Director in coordinating and tracking QIS priority initiatives, ensuring actions and deadlines are clearly documented and followed up.
Translate high-level direction into practical tracking tools such as action logs, timelines, and status trackers.
Maintain clear records of decisions, commitments, and next steps to ensure follow-through.
Help manage the day-to-day operating cadence for QIS (e.g., leadership meetings, weekly check-ins, initiative reviews).
Prepare execution-focused materials such as agendas, status summaries, dashboards, and meeting notes.
Provide consistent visibility into what is on track, at risk, or pending.
Serve as a central point of coordination across QIS teams (research, engineering, data, client solutions).
Assist with organizing multi-team efforts by clarifying ownership, sequencing, and dependencies.
Provide direct administrative and execution support to the Managing Director, with a strong focus on priorities, deliverables, and risks.
Prepare materials that help the Managing Director stay informed and focused on execution.
Act as a dependable execution partner who can be trusted to manage details independently.