Research Associate

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development • Full Time • Central and Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1m ago

Who we are

HKFEI is a small, independent policy research institute with an outsized ambition: to change how Hong Kong thinks about its most important economic challenges.

We were founded on the belief that Hong Kong has a serious deficit of rigorous, independent, and intellectually honest policy analysis — and that this deficit has real costs for the millions of people whose lives are shaped by the policies that result. We are trying to fix that.

Our work focuses on housing policy, population strategy, and labour markets. We publish in Ming Pao, SCMP, and academic journals. We brief government officials and legislators. We are building a track record of proposals that are taken seriously because they are grounded in evidence and free from the compromises that come with proximity to power.

We are a team of researchers, former civil servants, journalists, and policy practitioners who share a conviction that Hong Kong can be more productive, more efficient, more compassionate, and more open than it currently is — and that serious policy thinking is part of how it gets there.

The Role

This is not a conventional research assistant position. We are not looking for someone to clean datasets and produce tables under close supervision.

We are looking for someone who wants to help build something — a research associate who will grow into a policy entrepreneur. Someone who can take a policy question from first principles through to a published proposal that lands in a minister's inbox and a newspaper's pages.

Someone who brings their own ideas, not just their execution.

In practice, your work will span:

Leading and co-authoring policy research proposals on housing, population, and related topics
Analysing government data and published research to build the evidential foundation for HKFEI's arguments
Drafting bilingual policy briefs and op-eds that translate rigorous findings into clear public argument
Engaging with government officials, academics, and media contacts to ensure our work reaches and influences the right audiences
Contributing to HKFEI's institutional development — our research processes, knowledge management, and growing network of fellows and affiliates
Bringing your own policy ideas and angles to the team, not just responding to ours

Who You Are

We care more about who you are than what your CV says. That said, here is what we are looking for:

Genuinely curious about Hong Kong's future. You read about housing policy, demographic change, and institutional design because you find it interesting — not because someone assigned it. You have opinions about what Hong Kong should do and why.
Entrepreneurial by temperament. You see a gap and fill it. You don't wait to be told what to do next. You take ownership of outputs and follow through without being chased.
Rigorous in your thinking. You understand the difference between correlation and causation. You can read a government statistical release critically. You are not satisfied with an argument that sounds plausible but hasn't been tested against the evidence.
An excellent communicator in both languages. You can write a clear, compelling paragraph in English and Chinese. You understand that the purpose of policy writing is to change minds, not to demonstrate sophistication.
Comfortable with ambiguity. We are a small and young institution. The structures and processes are still being built. You will need to be able to operate effectively without complete certainty about what the right approach is.
Committed to independence. We say what the evidence shows, even when it is inconvenient. You need to share that commitment — not just intellectually, but as a professional instinct.

Qualifications

A strong undergraduate or postgraduate degree, preferably in economics, public policy, urban studies, or a related field
Demonstrated ability to conduct and write up original research or analysis — academic, journalistic, or policy-focused
Strong quantitative literacy; experience with Stata, R, or Python is a plus but not required
Native or near-native proficiency in Chinese (Traditional); strong written English
Two or more years of relevant experience is preferred, but exceptional recent graduates will be considered
Willingness to use agentic AI tools as part of your daily workflow — this is a core expectation of the role, not optional
Familiarity with AI tools (e.g. Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or similar) is a plus
Experience managing social media accounts or creating content for professional or policy audiences is a plus

What You Will Gain

We will not oversell this. Working at a young institution is demanding and sometimes uncertain. But we can offer things that larger organisations cannot:

Real intellectual ownership over policy proposals that reach senior government officials and the general public
Direct mentorship from Professor Michael B. Wong (MIT PhD, HKU) and Professor Yun- wing Sung (Minnesota PhD, CUHK), two of Hong Kong's most respected economists
The experience of building an institution from its early stages — understanding what it takes to create something that lasts
A network that spans academia, government, media, and civil society in Hong Kong and internationally
The opportunity to develop into a policy entrepreneur — someone who generates and champions ideas, not just executes others'

Compensation and Conditions

Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. We are committed to paying fairly for the right person.
The role is based in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Some flexibility on working arrangements is possible for the right candidate.

We review applications on a rolling basis. We are particularly interested in candidates who can start between August and September 2026.

Similar Jobs

Product Development Manager - Food Manufacturing

Michael Page • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 2d ago

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development Full Time

Lead end-to-end new product development initiatives within a food manufacturing environment, transforming product concepts into commercially viable offerings. This role sits at the intersection of R&D, operations, an...

2d ago

Apply

二/三級實驗室技術員一名（2026年9月1日到職）

樂善堂梁銶琚書院 • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1w ago

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development Full Time

具備教育局規定之入職條件；負責管理生物及綜合科學實驗室、物料採購、協助STEAM及活動；持有實驗室技術員證書或同等學歷；具相關工作經驗者及持有效急救證書者優先。

1w ago

Apply

Product Development Manager - Food Manufacturing

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 2w ago

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development Full Time

2w ago

Apply

Data Scientist - Financial Institutions

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 2w ago

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development Full Time

Job Description Our client is a well-known financial institutions. They are looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join their team. You will be responsible for designing the machine learning techniques and drive the data...

2w ago

Apply

Data Scientist - Financial Institutions

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 2w ago

Science / Laboratory / Research & Development Full Time

2w ago

Apply

Junior Bartender - Quinary

Quinary • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1d ago

Hotel / Catering / Club Full Time

AL - Maximum up to 18 days Monthly sales incentive Medical Benefit We are looking for an enthusiastic staff to work at our renown Cocktail Bar and wants to be part of team of Master mixologist Antonio Lai. Requirements:...

1d ago

Apply

Debt Capital Markets Manager [Ref no: DCMM-KF]

Nanyang Commercial Bank • Full Time • Central and Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1d ago

Banking / Finance Full Time

Prepare pitchbooks and RFP responses Distribute daily Certificate of Deposit pricing quotes Job Responsibilities: Prepare pitchbooks and RFP responses, including market updates and bond issuance proposals; Execute transa...

1d ago

Apply

Senior Dealer – FX & Precious Metals Trading [Ref no: SDFX-KF]

Nanyang Commercial Bank • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1d ago

Banking / Finance Full Time

Monitor the foreign exchange & precious metals dealing activities Handle the Bank’s FX & precious metals system Develop connections with the onshore market Job Responsibilities: Take charge of foreign exchange an...

1d ago

Apply

Assistant Risk Management Manager - Co-ordination & Reporting (Secondment Contract) [Ref:ARMM-KF]

Nanyang Commercial Bank • Contract / Project Based • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1d ago

Banking / Finance Contract / Project Based

Consolidate the bank-wide risk related information Assist in preparing meeting materials, taking minutes for senior management Job Responsibilities: Assist in co-ordinating meetings, preparing meeting materials, taking m...

1d ago

Apply

Product Management Manager (Equity/ Investment Funds/ Structured Products) [Ref: PMMIF-ALAI]

Nanyang Commercial Bank • Full Time • Central And Western District, Hong Kong, HK • 1d ago

Banking / Finance Full Time

Job Responsibilities: Work with a team charged with a product line and manage the entire product line life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities; Aim at increasing the profitability of existing products an...

1d ago

Apply