Part-Time Research Assistant

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

Department:

Kogod School of Business

Time Type:

Part time

Job Type:

Temporary (Fixed Term)

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Work Modality:

Union:

Excluded

Job Description:

Summary:

The Part-Time Research Assistant will support multiple high-impact projects in sustainability, organizational change, and entrepreneurship, including a large-scale systematic literature review analyzing over 2,000 documents on emergent and unintentional organizational change, empirical research on B Corporations and sustainability certifications, and work on mission drift in social enterprises. These projects target top-tier journals and hence need research assistance skills that are rigorous.

This role requires a candidate who combines strong technical skills in data analysis and AI-assisted research tools with an ability to support scholarly writing and knowledge synthesis. The successful candidate will work at the intersection of technology and business research, contributing to projects that directly advance Kogod’s strategic priorities in sustainability and AI-integrated scholarship.

Essential Functions:

1.) Computational Social Science Research Support

• Assist with processing and analyzing large document corpora using Python, LLMs, and AI-assisted tools such as Claude Code.

• Support the development and execution of data pipelines for qualitative and quantitative research projects.

• Help design and run computational analyses in support of systematic literature reviews and empirical studies.

• Contribute to data cleaning, coding, and validation across multiple active research projects.

2.) Research and Writing Support

• Assist with literature searches, bibliography management, and synthesis of academic sources.

• Support the preparation of manuscripts, conference papers, and grant materials.

• Help format and edit research documents in accordance with journal and conference guidelines.

• Contribute to the development of research summaries, presentations, and practitioner-facing materials.

Competencies:

• Acquiring and Analyzing Information.

• Prioritizing and Organizing.

• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.

• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-time.

• 15 hours per week.  

• This is a temporary part-time position ending on or before 12/31/2026.

Salary Range:

• $19.50 per hour.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

• Less than 1 year of relevant experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Information Systems, or a related field.

• Proficiency in AI tools or large language model (LLM) applications.

• Familiarity with business analytics, data analysis, or quantitative research methods.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.

• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and research integrity.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent.

• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.

• Master’s degree in Business, Data Science, or a related field.

• Prior experience supporting academic research or working in a university research