Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Knowledge Research Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

As a Knowledge Research Assistant, you will be the backbone of our intelligence and insights function. You are a curious and resourceful individual dedicated to uncovering, organizing, and sharing critical information that empowers our teams to make smarter, faster decisions. This role involves a blend of deep-dive research, data synthesis, and knowledge management to ensure our organization stays ahead of the curve. You will work collaboratively with various departments, responding to information requests and proactively identifying trends and opportunities. This position is ideal for someone who thrives on learning and is passionate about transforming raw data into actionable intelligence.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Research Intern / Co-op
Library Assistant / Information Specialist
Data Entry Clerk or Administrative Assistant with an analytical focus

Advancement To:

Senior Research Analyst or Knowledge Analyst
Knowledge Manager or Content Strategist
Competitive Intelligence Specialist or Market Researcher

Lateral Moves:

Business Analyst
Project Coordinator
Communications Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive, multi-source research on diverse topics including market trends, competitive landscapes, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies using online databases, academic journals, and proprietary tools.
Synthesize large volumes of complex information into clear, concise, and actionable summaries, reports, and presentations for senior leadership and key stakeholders.
Manage, maintain, and continuously improve internal knowledge bases, digital libraries, and repositories to ensure all information is accurate, up-to-date, and easily discoverable.
Develop and execute sophisticated search strategies and queries across multiple platforms to efficiently retrieve relevant data, articles, and documentation.
Monitor and analyze industry news, competitor activities, and public data streams to provide proactive, real-time intelligence briefs to relevant business units.
Assist senior researchers and analysts with extensive literature reviews, systematic data collection, and rigorous fact-checking for large-scale strategic projects.
Prepare, format, and edit a variety of research deliverables, including white papers, case studies, and internal briefings, ensuring they meet high standards for quality and brand consistency.
Respond to a high volume of ad-hoc research requests from across the organization, providing timely, accurate, and well-sourced information to support immediate business needs.
Identify, evaluate, and recommend new information sources, research tools, and innovative methodologies to enhance the team's overall research capabilities and efficiency.
Curate and disseminate key findings, insights, and noteworthy intelligence through internal newsletters, intranet portals, and regular team updates.
Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis on collected data to identify underlying patterns, trends, and actionable insights that can inform business strategy.
Create and manage detailed annotated bibliographies and citation libraries for ongoing and historical research projects to ensure proper attribution and knowledge retention.
Collaborate closely with subject matter experts (SMEs) throughout the organization to validate research findings, gather internal perspectives, and enrich shared knowledge assets.
Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to knowledge base usage, research request fulfillment, and team impact to demonstrate value and identify areas for improvement.
Support the design and implementation of new knowledge management strategies, taxonomies, and governance processes to foster a culture of information sharing.
Provide training and support to end-users on how to effectively utilize knowledge management platforms and research tools.
Maintain a deep understanding of the company's strategic priorities to align research efforts with the most critical business objectives.
Handle confidential and sensitive information with the utmost discretion and professionalism, adhering to all data privacy and security protocols.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Provide administrative support for the research team, including scheduling stakeholder meetings, preparing agendas, and documenting key decisions.
Assist in the preparation of grant proposals or project bids by gathering supporting data, literature, and competitive intelligence.
Participate in user acceptance testing (UAT) for new research software or knowledge platform features to provide valuable user feedback.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

High proficiency in utilizing online research databases (e.g., LexisNexis, Westlaw, Gartner, IBISWorld, PubMed) and academic search engines.
Advanced mastery of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for data analysis, report generation, and presentation creation.
Experience working with knowledge management systems (e.g., SharePoint, Confluence, Notion) and content management systems (CMS).
Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to translate complex data sets into easily digestible visuals.
Strong command of Boolean logic and advanced search operators to conduct precise and efficient online searches.
Experience with citation management software such as Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley.
Basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative data analysis methodologies.

Soft Skills

Exceptional analytical and critical thinking abilities, combined with a powerful sense of intellectual curiosity.
Superior written and verbal communication skills, with a proven talent for distilling complex subjects into clear and compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
Meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to accuracy, quality, and data integrity in all work products.
Outstanding organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing projects in a fast-paced environment.
A proactive, self-starting mindset with the capability to work autonomously while also being a highly effective collaborator in a team setting.
Resourcefulness and persistence in finding difficult-to-locate information and overcoming research challenges.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree in a relevant field is highly advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Library Science, Information Science
Business, Economics, Finance
Journalism, Communications
Social Sciences (e.g., Sociology, Political Science)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1-3 years of relevant professional experience in a research-intensive role within an academic, corporate, legal, or non-profit environment.

Preferred:

Direct experience in a knowledge management, competitive intelligence, or market research function is highly desirable.
Proven experience supporting multiple stakeholders and managing a high volume of information requests.