Senior Research Associate

The Conference Board of Canada; Remote; CAD 80,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization in Canada is seeking a Senior Research Associate to enhance its Human Capital team. This role involves conducting quantitative and qualitative research related to compensation and HR trends. Candidates must have a graduate degree and demonstrable skills in data analysis and report writing. The position allows remote work across Canada and provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare from Day One and a defined benefit pension plan. Strong communication skills and familiarity with executive-level presentations are essential.

Benefits

Virtual work flexibility

Healthcare benefits

Defined benefit pension plan

20 days annual vacation

Employee Family Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of compensation, benefits, and broader human capital trends.
• Proficiency in transforming complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Experience developing interactive dashboards for client engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support quantitative and qualitative research projects.
• Conduct data analysis and produce actionable insights for HR audiences.
• Present research findings to executive councils across Canada.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Project management

Data analysis

Communication

Report writing

Data visualization

Education

Graduate degree in Human Resources, I/O Psychology, Business, or a related field

Tools

SPSS

R

Power BI

Voxco

Job description

The Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) is the nation’s largest independent applied research organization offering unbiased, evidence-based information and analysis to both industry, NGOs and federal/provincial governments. We have one of the country’s largest private economic analysis and forecasting teams and are widely recognized for expert economic forecasting, modeling, and leading analysis. CBoC undertakes research to address the most pressing issues in Innovation and Technology, Human Capital, Sustainability, Immigration, Indigenous and Northern Communities, Education and Skills, and Health. Our social science research provides actionable pathways to solutions. Simply put, we deliver insights that help Canada’s leaders cut through the noise and make informed decisions.

We are seeking a Senior Research Associate to join the Human Capital team.

Please note: This is a research role; not an internal Human Resources role.

Our Ideal Candidate

A skilled HR researcher and data analyst with strong knowledge of compensation, benefits, labour markets, and broader human capital trends in Canada. You are highly proficient at working with quantitative and qualitative data, and you know how to transform complex information into clear, compelling insights for senior HR leaders.

You are equally comfortable conducting statistical analysis, writing evidence-based reports, and presenting findings to executive audiences. You have strong writing skills and can structure a narrative that is accurate, concise, and accessible, whether in the form of a benchmarking report, an op‑ed, or the front‑end of a dashboard.

You understand that modern HR research requires both narrative and visual storytelling. Experience developing Power BI dashboards is a significant asset, as our work increasingly pairs report‑formatted insights with interactive dashboards that bring data to life for clients and council members.

You are confident engaging with senior HR leaders through our executive councils, including acting as the primary client‑facing researcher for the Compensation Research Centre (CRC), and you bring a professional presence to virtual and in‑person meetings, presentations, and stakeholder discussions. You enjoy collaborating with members to understand their needs and help shape timely, practical, client‑focused research projects that support decision‑making for HR leaders across Canada.

You bring intellectual curiosity, exceptional communication skills, and a passion for evidence‑based research. You are extremely detail‑oriented and comfortable using project management software to closely track research tasks, progress, and deliverables, an essential skill in a remote work environment. You are collaborative by nature and proactively communicate with colleagues to stay aligned, share updates, and keep work moving forward smoothly. You demonstrate strong judgment, thrive in a collaborative virtual environment, and take pride in delivering high‑quality work that advances the Human Capital research agenda.

We are a virtual organization and as a remote worker you must be comfortable and able to work 100 per cent of the time from a home office in. To be successful as a remote worker you need to have a self‑starter attitude, possess strong organizational and time management skills and be a proactive communicator. Having a home office environment that provides for a productive, professional, and safe work environment during regular working/business hours is a requirement of this role. This includes internet service and a reliable connection.

About the Role

• Lead and support quantitative and qualitative research projects related to compensation, benefits, HR metrics, and broader human capital trends.
• Conduct rigorous data analysis, including cleaning, structuring, and interpreting HR‑related datasets to produce clear, actionable insights for senior HR audiences.
• Transform complex findings into well‑structured reports, dashboards, online experiences, impact papers, articles, and executive‑ready presentations.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of Power BI dashboards and other data‑visualization tools, supporting our shift toward integrated research deliverables that pair narrative insights with interactive dashboards.
• Serve as a client‑facing researcher for the Compensation Research Centre, providing data insights, responding to member questions, and presenting at meetings.
• Present research findings to executive HR councils across Canada, facilitating discussions and supporting council programming with data‑driven insights.
• Identify emerging human capital issues and contribute to the creation of timely, client‑focused research projects that meet the evolving needs of Canadian HR leaders.
• Develop proposals, contribute to business development, and collaborate on opportunities to expand the Human Capital research portfolio.
• Provide leadership in conceptualizing new research methodologies and strategies to maximize the impact and relevance of our work and expand survey sample size.
• Contribute content to external forums, including media interviews, articles, commentary, and public presentations.
• Use project‑management software to monitor progress, maintain documentation, and coordinate deliverables effectively across a remote research team.
• Demonstrate CBoC values of collaboration, ownership, excellence, evidence, passion, and integrity in all aspects of work and interactions with colleagues, members, and clients.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Human Resources, I/O Psychology, Business, or another related social science discipline.
• Deep knowledge of compensation and benefits, HR practices, anticipated HR trends, labour relations, and workforce analytics.
• Demonstrated experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research, including the analysis of HR, survey, and benchmarking datasets using SPSS (or R) and NVivo.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, well‑organized insights for reports, dashboards, presentations, and executive briefings.
• Excellent writing skills, with the ability to distill technical findings into accessible, evidence‑based content.
• Experience designing, developing, and programming surveys using Voxco (or Qualtrics), including question design, logic programming, data validation, and survey testing.
• Proven capability to identify emerging HR issues and contribute to the development of timely, client‑focused research projects.
• Effective project management abilities, including prioritization, time management, and delivering high‑quality outcomes within tight timelines.
• Confident communicator with experience presenting to and engaging with executive‑level audiences.
• Experience using project‑management software to track tasks, timelines, and deliverables in a research environment.
• Demonstrated reliability in managing multiple responsibilities, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Professional, collaborative, and responsive in interactions with colleagues, members, and clients.
• Willingness to travel within Canada for council meetings, client engagements, and annual in‑person team meetings (approximately 10% travel).

Assets

• Experience engaging directly with clients or members.
• Bilingualism (English/French).

Benefits

At CBoC, we believe that putting People First is key to our success and attracting the best people. We are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive and we are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Virtual First – work from home anywhere across Canada with a budget to set up your home office.
• A workplace where your hard work is not just valued, but actively celebrated. We take pride in our commitment to recognizing and rewarding the exceptional talent that drives our success through our Recognition programs.
• Healthcare benefits from Day One to support your physical and mental wellbeing, including a $2,500 benefit for Psychologist, Social Worker or Psychotherapist services.
• Work/Life Balance: In addition to 20 days annual vacation, we close between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, observe 13 holidays per year and offer Friday afternoon closures.
• A modern, defined benefit (DB) pension plan: We care about your future and offer a pension plan with a 5% match from Day One.
• Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP): We understand that life can be unpredictable and challenging and EFAP supports you and your family during difficult times.
• Maternity and parental leave top‑up plan.

The hiring zone for this position is $80,793 - $95,050 annually for candidates from any Canadian province or territory. Salaries are based upon candidate experience, qualifications, specific skillsets, as well as market and business considerations. The full compensation band for this position ranges from $80,793 - $109,308. The recruiter can share more information about compensation for the position during the hiring process. This job posting is for an existing vacancy within CBoC. We are actively seeking to fill this role with a qualified candidate.

We value the unique skills, experiences, and insights that each employee brings to The Conference Board of Canada. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported and welcome members of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply. If you require an accommodation at any point during the recruitment process, please email [e-mail] and we will work with you to meet your needs.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest in The Conference Board of Canada. Please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.