Coordinator for Academic Programs
Harvard University · Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States · hybrid
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The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, known colloquially as Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary exploration. We bring together students, scholars, artists, and practitioners to pursue curiosity-driven research, expand human understanding, and grapple with questions that demand insight from across disciplines.
The Fellowship Program annually supports the work of 50 leading artists and scholars. Academic Ventures fosters collaborative research projects and sponsors lectures and conferences that engage scholars with the public. The Schlesinger Library documents the lives of American women of the past and present for the future, furthering the Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society. The Emerging Leaders Program is a youth leadership development program partnering local high school sophomores with Harvard undergraduates in a mentoring relationship.
The Institute’s work is shaped by its history as the former Radcliffe College—a school founded to ensure that the standard of education embodied in Harvard was accessible to women, who were then excluded from the University. But the legacy of Radcliffe College is not simply coeducation at Harvard; it is the recognition that universities will always be greater when they draw wisdom and talent from the widest possible pool.
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Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, the Coordinator for Academic Programs provides high-level administrative, programmatic, and project coordination support for the Academic Programs Office. The position manages complex and confidential administrative responsibilities while coordinating academic initiatives and cross-functional projects that advance Radcliffe’s mission and strategic priorities.
Working in an environment with multiple and competing priorities, the Coordinator anticipates needs, organizes information, monitors deadlines, supports decision-making, and facilitates communication among faculty, students, staff, Institute offices, and University partners. The position requires strong judgment, organization, attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to move projects forward collaboratively.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Administrative Support — Approximately 50%
- Provides comprehensive administrative support to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, including calendar management, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, preparation of briefing materials, and follow-up on commitments.
- Coordinates meetings and activities for faculty advisory councils, working groups, student engagement groups, and other academic committees; prepares agendas and materials, records minutes, and tracks follow-up items.
- Serves as a key point of contact for the Academic Programs Office and supports effective communication among faculty, students, staff, Institute offices, and University partners.
- Maintains office systems, records, calendars, faculty appointment information, shared files, and the Academic Programs Office SharePoint site.
- Supports routine financial and administrative operations, including expense reporting, purchasing card transactions, budget monitoring, and reconciliation of assigned accounts.
- Drafts correspondence, memoranda, reports, presentations, and other materials; handles confidential information with discretion and performs related administrative duties as assigned.
Project and Program Coordination — Approximately 50%
- Supports the Associate Dean and program directors in planning and coordinating academic priorities, strategic initiatives, and cross-programmatic projects.
- Organizes and maintains project plans, timelines, deliverables, action-item trackers, and other tools to support the successful completion of assigned initiatives.
- Coordinates projects and workflows across academic departments, programs, Institute offices, and University partners, ensuring that information, decisions, and materials move forward in a timely manner.
- Monitors project progress, deadlines, dependencies, risks, resource needs, and outstanding issues; provides updates and identifies matters requiring attention or escalation.
- Supports annual and multi-year planning, faculty engagement efforts, student engagement initiatives, evaluations, and reporting by gathering information, conducting research, and preparing analyses, briefings, and recommendations.
- Assists with project and program communications, assessment, documentation, and continuous improvement related to Academic Programs Office initiatives.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
N/A
Working Conditions:
- Work is performed primarily in a professional academic and administrative office environment, with regular interaction with faculty, students, staff, senior leaders, Institute offices, and University partners.
- The position operates in a high-profile, collaborative, and deadline-driven setting with multiple and competing priorities.
- The work environment includes frequent meetings, ongoing communication, interruptions, and the need to handle confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
- Occasional work outside standard business hours may be required to support meetings, programs, events, or time-sensitive academic initiatives.
Physical Requirements:
The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Work is primarily performed in an office environment and requires extended periods of sitting and working at a computer, with regular use of a keyboard, mouse, telephone, and other office equipment.
- Work involves extended periods of concentration, managing multiple tasks, and responding to frequent interruptions and changing priorities.
- Requires the ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic platforms.
- Regularly moves throughout the office, Institute facilities, and campus to attend meetings, coordinate events, and collaborate with faculty, students, staff, and University partners.
- May occasionally lift, carry, or transport office supplies, meeting materials, files, or equipment weighing up to approximately 40 pounds.
- May require occasional standing, walking, bending, reaching, or setting up materials for meetings and events.
- Flexibility to adjust work schedule will be required.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
- Three or more years of relevant experience in administrative support, program coordination, project coordination, higher education, or a related office environment. Education beyond high school may count toward relevant experience.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple priorities, deadlines, meetings, or projects.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Ability and willingness to learn and use additional administrative, project-management, financial, and information-management systems.
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
This position requires a team player with a strong customer service orientation and a willingness and ability to work with multiple groups across the Harvard Radcliffe Institute campus providing administrative and project management support in a high-profile en