Academic Research Analyst (Remote)

The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a think network advancing the principles and practices of freedom in the academy and civil society. The Academic Research Analyst supports organizational decision-making by analyzing and interpreting data related to IHS programs and partnerships, producing structured analyses and reports that inform strategy and support organizational reporting.

Responsibilities:

• Complete analytics projects submitted through established intake processes (e.g., Asana), including both rapid-turnaround requests and longer-term analyses
• Partner with internal teams (e.g., Programs, Solution Coalitions, Development, Communications/Marketing, and Leadership) and, as applicable, external partners to clarify questions, confirm definitions, and deliver decision-ready outputs
• Maintain clear documentation of assumptions, definitions, and methodologies used in recurring or high-use analyses
• Analyze data on IHS activities (e.g., funding programs, conferences, seminars, convenings) and related partner activity to support measurement of effectiveness and impact
• Provide recurring reporting metrics and ad hoc reporting support, including manual validation as needed to ensure outputs answer the intended question
• Support analysis of scholarly and research outputs across relevant disciplines (e.g., economics, political science, philosophy, law, history) as required for institutional reporting and impact narratives
• Extract, organize, and prepare datasets from CRM and other data systems for analysis and reporting
• Validate analytical datasets and outputs for accuracy and consistency; identify data limitations and caveats and communicate them clearly to stakeholders
• Coordinate with the appropriate data owner(s) when data issues affect reporting accuracy or analytical reliability
• Identify opportunities to improve analysis workflows (e.g., repeatable queries, templates, dashboards, or lightweight automation) in coordination with the Director of Business Intelligence
• Learn and apply additional analytical tools as needed (e.g., SQL, Python, R, Tableau or comparable tools, as well as artificial intelligence) to improve efficiency and analytical quality

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., social science, economics, public policy, statistics, data analytics, or comparable discipline)
• Demonstrated ability to conduct data analysis and produce clear written analytical outputs (professional, academic, or equivalent experience)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain findings to non-technical audiences
• Ability to manage multiple requests, prioritize work, and meet deadlines in a high-demand environment
• Ability to evaluate information from multiple sources, reconcile inconsistencies, and document assumptions
• Proficiency in Excel; experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred)
• Coursework or experience in statistics, quantitative methods, or program evaluation
• Experience working with nonprofit, academic, or research datasets and/or impact measurement
• Familiarity with SQL, Python, R, or similar tools used for analysis and reporting
• Familiarity with academic research environments and classical liberal ideas