[1] With Christine A. Desan, he is the co-director of the Program on the Study of Capitalism at Harvard University.

In 2003, Beckert worked at the University of Konstanz as a Humboldt Research Fellow.

[7][8] In 2020, an honoree of the Great Immigrants Award named by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

[9] Beckert's first book was The Monied Metropolis: New York City and the Consolidation of the American Bourgeoisie, 1850–1896 (2001).

The letter stated, in part, that "We the undersigned know John Comaroff to be an excellent colleague, advisor, and committed university citizen.” Four days later, after three graduate students filed a lawsuit with detailed allegations of Comaroff's actions and the university's failure to respond, Beckert was one of several signatories to say that they wished to retract their signatures.