Research & Data Assistant
Part-time| Approximately 5–10 hours per week | $15–$20/hour
Overview
The Research & Data Assistant supports Harry Hayman and his team by conducting research, gathering and organizing data, identifying relevant information, and turning findings into clear, usable summaries.
The role will support a variety of projects and business initiatives, so the ideal candidate should be comfortable researching unfamiliar topics, working independently, and moving between different types of assignments.
Core Responsibilities
1. Conduct Research
Research topics based on specific project needs, including:
- Companies and organizations
- Industries and markets
- Potential partners and stakeholders
- Competitors
- Programs and initiatives
- Demographic and economic information
- Policies and public-sector information
- Business opportunities and market trends
2. Find and Verify Information
Locate information from credible sources, including government databases, organizational reports, public datasets, industry publications, academic sources, and other reliable resources.
Verify important facts, statistics, and claims and maintain clear source documentation.
3. Collect and Organize Data
Gather and organize information in Excel, Google Sheets, or similar tools.
Assignments may include:
- Building research databases
- Creating prospect or organization lists
- Cleaning and organizing datasets
- Comparing information across sources
- Categorizing and tagging information
- Maintaining source and reference lists
4. Analyze and Summarize Findings
Review research and data to identify:
- Trends and patterns
- Key findings
- Market opportunities
- Gaps or inconsistencies
- Relevant comparisons
- Potential risks or considerations
Turn findings into concise summaries, tables, charts, or briefing documents that leadership can quickly review.
5. Support Multiple Projects
Research may support projects involving:
- Business development
- Economic development
- Food systems
- Nonprofit and community initiatives
- Marketing and audience research
- New business concepts
- Partnerships and stakeholder development
The role requires flexibility and the ability to quickly understand the research needs of different projects.
Skills & Qualifications Required
- Strong research and information-gathering skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Ability to evaluate whether a source is credible
- Comfortable using Excel and/or Google Sheets
- Ability to organize large amounts of information
- Strong written communication
- Ability to summarize complex information clearly
- Self-directed and dependable
- Comfortable researching unfamiliar subjects
Preferred
- Previous research or data experience
- Experience working with public or government datasets
- Experience cleaning or organizing data
- Experience creating charts, tables, or basic data visualizations
- Familiarity with market, business, policy, or economic research
- Experience with CRM, database, or project management tools
Ideal Candidate
This role is best suited for someone who:
- enjoys digging into a question and finding the answer
- knows how to research beyond the first few search results
- pays attention to where information comes from
- can work with both numbers and written information
- notices patterns, inconsistencies, and missing information
- can take a research question and work independently toward an answer
- communicates findings clearly without overcomplicating them
Success in the Role
- research is accurate and well sourced
- data is organized and easy to use
- important findings are clearly identified
- information can be easily traced back to its original source
- research helps leadership make better and faster decisions
Pay: $15.00 - $20.00 per hour
Expected hours: 5.0 – 10.0 per week
Application Question(s):
- This position is part-time at approximately 5–10 hours per week and pays $15–$20 per hour, depending on experience. Please confirm that you have reviewed and are comfortable with the compensation and schedule before applying.
- Please describe your experience conducting research and working with data. What types of research have you completed, and how have you analyzed, organized, or presented your findings to make the information useful for others?
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Philadelphia, PA 19130