Freelance Research Associate(s) (Project Basis)

About IMD

Founded by business executives for business executives, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is an independent academic institute with campuses in Lausanne and Singapore as well as a Management Development Hub in Shenzhen.

We strive to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our executive education and degree programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best by the Financial Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, and others.

Our leading position in the field is grounded in our unique approach to creating real learning, real impact. Through our research, programs, and advisory work we enable business leaders to find new and better solutions.

Our purpose is Challenging what is and inspiring what could be, we develop leaders and organizations that contribute to a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive world.

To reinforce our team, we are looking for

Freelance Research Associate(s) (project basis)

IMD, a leading business school based in Switzerland, is looking for experienced Research Associate(s) to work on a freelance basis with IMD Faculty on innovative business research projects. As a Research Associate(s), you will collaborate with Faculty members to write practitioner and academic articles, reports, book chapters and learning materials for use in IMD executive education and MBA programs. You will engage in various qualitative and quantitative research activities, such as literature reviews, survey design and analysis, and data processing and analysis. You will be responsible for managing the whole process, from research to completed output.

We seek Research Associate(s) who are comfortable in an environment that requires a high level of independence and intellectual curiosity and can respect confidential information. The main subject areas are topics of interest to executive education participants and MBA students: strategy, leadership, culture and change management, finance and accounting, innovation and entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, supply chain and operations management, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, technology and AI.

Key activities & responsibilities

Contracted by the Research Resources Manager, the Research Associate(s) will work with a Faculty member, with varying degrees of collaboration and direction. The research agenda is determined by Faculty members; on the operational level, the Research Associate(s) has a high degree of responsibility and autonomy. Activities and responsibilities include:

• Partner with IMD Faculty members on topics central to IMD’s research agenda.
• Provide advanced subject-area expertise, analysis, and interpretation.
• Work proactively and independently to develop, design, and conduct research projects.
• Write up the research according to the desired outputs including academic and practitioner articles, reports, and book chapters.
• Drive projects forward to achieve deliverables, including managing timelines and Faculty members’ expectations.
• Build excellent working relationships with Faculty members and external clients when needed, such as executives.

Desired skills and qualifications

• Graduate degree in a relevant field.
• Proven independent research experience and high-quality academic writing.
• Strong research and analytical skills; previous publication record in related areas is a plus.
• Some industry, managerial, or management consulting experience and international exposure are an advantage.
• Experience in writing for executive audiences is a plus.
• Proficiency in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, tools and programs (Qualtrics, NVivo, STATA, R, Python, etc).
• Full professional fluency in English (written and spoken).
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.

Benefits of working with us

• Collaborative environment: Work alongside faculty who are experts in their field and contribute to cutting-edge research.
• Professional growth: Gain valuable experience and enhance your skills in a prestigious academic setting.
• Flexible work arrangements: Enjoy the flexibility of working on a project basis with the autonomy to manage your own schedule.
• Access to resources: Utilize advanced research tools and methodologies to support your work.
• Stimulating projects: Engage in diverse and intellectually stimulating research projects that make a real impact.

Additional information

• Ideally, case writer should have official self-employed status or a registered company. If this is not the case, payment will be made via an umbrella company located in your country of residence.
• Remuneration will be competitive and commensurate with your work experience and the cost-of-living standards of your country of residence.
• If you live outside of Switzerland, you must be willing to travel occasionally to Lausanne for meetings and working sessions with the Faculty.
• IMD will not provide any work-related visas to work in Switzerland. If resident in Switzerland, you must already have a valid Swiss work permit or Swiss or EU-25&EFTA citizenship.
• The frequency of assignments will be based on Faculty demand.
• The start date is as soon as possible after onboarding is completed.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the appropriate profiles have been selected.

How to apply

If you have the above skills and would like to be an IMD Research Associate, please send your complete application file (letter of motivation, resume in English and examples of published work, if applicable) by clicking the 'Apply' button

Please specify in your application your area of expertise and the research methods in which you are proficient.