Quantitative Research Analyst

General Description:

We are seeking a rigorous, curious, and practical quantitative researcher to join HARDI's Market Intelligence team. Reporting to the Director of Research, the Quantitative Research Analyst will develop forecasts and analytical products that help HVACR distributors, manufacturers, and partners understand market conditions, plan for change, and make better decisions.

This role combines economic forecasting, econometric modeling, data engineering, and applied machine learning. The analyst will own recurring market models and data workflows, contribute to fee-for-service engagements, and translate complex methods into clear findings for members, clients, and internal stakeholders. The ideal candidate enjoys building reproducible analysis, testing assumptions, and learning the operational realities behind the data.

About Us:

HARDI is predominantly a North American trade association with international members representing wholesale distributors of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment and supplies. With a membership of approximately 1,000 distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, marketing groups, and service vendors, HARDI is a diverse organization that exists to make HVACR distributors the channel of choice for HVACR suppliers and contractors.

Key Responsibilities:

Market Forecasting & Industry Intelligence

· Develop, maintain, and improve forecasts for residential HVAC, nonresidential HVAC, and related market sectors at national and regional levels.

· Monitor macroeconomic, construction market, and climatological indicators; assess structural breaks and emerging risks; and incorporate relevant signals into market outlooks.

· Produce market-sizing, total-addressable-market, scenario, and sensitivity analyses that support member questions, strategic planning, and HARDI's State of the Channel research.

Econometric Modeling & Custom Research

· Design and estimate econometric models for fee-for-service engagements, selecting methods appropriate to the business question, data-generating process, and decision horizon.

· Acquire, clean, integrate, and analyze economic, financial, survey, shipment, and operational datasets from public, proprietary, and member sources.

· Document assumptions, methods, limitations, and validation results; conduct quality-control reviews; and make analytical workflows reproducible for colleagues.

Data Automation & Applied Machine Learning

· Build and maintain recurring data pipelines and automated collection processes, including web scraping, API-based retrieval, database queries, and scheduled transformations where appropriate.

· Develop, evaluate, and deploy machine-learning models when they offer a clear advantage for forecasting, classification, anomaly detection, or other research tasks.

· Compare advanced models with transparent baselines, monitor performance over time, and communicate tradeoffs involving accuracy, interpretability, and maintainability.

Reporting, Presentation & Collaboration

· Translate quantitative findings into clear reports, briefs, presentations, data products, and recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences.

· Present market outlooks and research findings in member meetings, regional sessions, conferences, webinars, and client discussions as needed.

· Partner with HARDI colleagues, councils, members, and external clients to define research questions, clarify deliverables, manage timelines, and respond to emerging analytical needs.

Qualifications:

Education

· Bachelor's degree in economics, statistics, mathematics, data science, finance, or a related quantitative discipline required.

· Master's degree in economics, applied statistics, data science, or a related discipline preferred.

Professional Experience

· Three or more years of applied experience in economic analysis, forecasting, econometrics, data science, market research, or a closely related field. Candidates with an advanced degree and substantial applied research or model-development experience may also be considered.

· Demonstrated experience building and validating time-series, regression, causal, or other quantitative models using real-world data.

· Experience developing repeatable analytical workflows and working with multiple data sources of varying quality and structure.

Knowledge & Skillset

· Proficiency in Python or R and strong working knowledge of Excel; experience with SQL and version control is strongly preferred.

· Working knowledge of econometrics, statistical inference, time-series forecasting, model diagnostics, and out-of-sample validation.

· Ability to use machine-learning methods judiciously and explain model choices, performance, uncertainty, and limitations to varied audiences.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to turn complex analysis into concise, actionable guidance.

· High attention to detail, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with limited supervision.

· Familiarity with HVACR, construction, building systems, distribution, or durable-goods markets is a plus.

Travel:

· Travel expectations are seasonal and will vary based on need. Less than 25% of the Quantitative Research Analyst's time is expected to involve travel, primarily for public speaking engagements, member visits, client meetings, and HARDI conferences.

Pay: From $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Columbus, OH 43235