Research Specialist, Legal Knowledge and Research Services

Harbor seeks a Research Specialist, Legal Knowledge and Research Services to join the Library and Research department. The Research Specialist provides advanced legal research, strategic guidance, and high-impact client support as part of Harbor’s Knowledge and Research Services team. This role is suited for an experienced research professional who brings deep subject matter expertise, strong project ownership, and the ability to deliver sophisticated written and verbal work product. The Specialist serves as a trusted resource across complex legal and business research matters, contributes to departmental innovation and knowledge management, and supports exceptional service delivery to clients and internal stakeholders.

The Specialist is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, demonstrate deep knowledge of legal research methodologies and related service areas, and contribute to the development of scalable research processes, documentation, and best practices that improve research quality, consistency, efficiency, and long-term client value. This is a full-time, fully remote position that can be worked from anywhere in US or Canada. This position will cover the hours of 2 PM - 11 PM ET (with some flexibility).

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Responsibilities:

• Serve as a go-to subject matter expert in one or more specialized legal research areas, regularly leading complex research initiatives from intake through completion and delivering clear, actionable, client-ready results.
• Lead complex client-facing and internal research projects, including scoping requests, developing research plans, managing deadlines, and ensuring work product aligns with client expectations and Harbor’s quality standards.
• Act as a trusted subject matter lead for client work by building and maintaining strong internal and external relationships, engaging effectively across library, research, and intelligence services, and adapting deliverables to client needs.
• Demonstrate strategic client ownership by proactively understanding client goals, anticipating research and service needs, and aligning deliverables, recommendations, and follow-through with long-term client success and Harbor’s broader service strategy.
• Model Harbor values with peers, team members, clients, and across work product by promoting collaboration, inclusion, respectful communication, knowledge sharing, and strong ownership of client outcomes.
• Serve as a resource and mentor to colleagues, particularly junior analysts and researchers, by sharing expertise, contributing to shared knowledge spaces, and supporting team learning and best practices.
• Pilot new research tools, advanced platforms, and emerging methodologies; provide strategic input on research workflows, service delivery models, and process improvement initiatives.
• Define and maintain a clear specialty research portfolio of templates and deliverables that demonstrates enterprise-level influence, advances reusable service capabilities, and supports scalable, consistent delivery across clients, teams, and research service areas.
• Advise on improvements to departmental research approaches and knowledge management documentation, including the evaluation, adoption, and effective use of emerging research technologies.
• Own end-to-end workflow processes for complex projects and client requests, balancing competing priorities and deadlines while ensuring timely, accurate, efficient, and high-quality delivery.
• Identify opportunities to optimize the format, delivery, and overall effectiveness of work product, aligning recommendations with client expectations, departmental goals, and Harbor’s strategic priorities.
• Craft high-impact written deliverables, including research summaries, analyses, and other client-ready work product, and assist with client-facing or internal presentations, trainings, and written communications.
• Communicate complex concepts, findings, and recommendations clearly and persuasively across a variety of formats, adapting tone, structure, and level of detail to suit the audience and purpose.
• Pursue professional growth opportunities, such as certifications, webinars, advanced tool training, and stretch assignments, while remaining open to new challenges and unfamiliar subject matter.

Qualifications:

• MLS and/or demonstrated relevant professional research experience in a private law firm or academic law library, special library, or research center
• 4-6 years’ experience providing research in a private law firm, academic law library or special library or research center
• Experience with legal and business information resources, online database searching, business research and legal research practice and procedures
• Experience using Lexis, Westlaw, and other standard legal research databases
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite with strong working knowledge of Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Responsiveness and demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize competing deadlines
• Client service orientation combined with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills with demonstrated attention to detail
• Ability to work in a collaborative, service-oriented team, yet also independently with minimal supervision