Research Data Licensing & Governance Manager

Harvard University FAS Human Resources; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Manager of Data Acquisition and Management to oversee licensing, acquisition, and governance of research data used across projects.

Reporting to the Director of Research Computing and Data Services, you will lead a team, manage vendor relations, ensure compliance with data-use agreements, and collaborate with faculty and university offices to balance access, security, and risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field as listed above.
• 5+ years of experience in data licensing, contracts, or research compliance, including at least 2 years supervisory.
• Experience negotiating data contracts, licenses, or data use agreements.

Responsibilities

• Lead data licensing, acquisition processes and vendor negotiations.
• Oversee data safety reviews and develop compliant data management plans.
• Develop and maintain SOPs for access to sensitive datasets and ensure governance compliance.
• Engage with faculty, data providers, and university offices to manage licensing lifecycle and risk reporting.

Skills

Data licensing

Contract negotiation

Supervisory experience

Stakeholder engagement

Policy compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in data governance, information/library science, law, public policy, or research administration

Master’s degree in above fields

Job description

Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Manager of Data Acquisition and Management to oversee licensing, acquisition, and governance of research data used across projects.

Reporting to the Director of Research Computing and Data Services, you will lead a team, manage vendor relations, ensure compliance with data-use agreements, and collaborate with faculty and university offices to balance access, security, and risk.