Faculty Assistant and Program Coordinator

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard Kennedy School?

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one of 12 graduate and professional schools at the university. Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match. When you work at Harvard Kennedy School, you make a difference.

Job Description

The high-profile and high-energy Program on Science, Technology and Society (STS) at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) provides unique resources through research, training, and public events for coping with the multiple societal challenges posed by scientific and technological innovation. 

The Faculty Assistant and Program Coordinator will work directly with faculty director Professor Sheila Jasanoff to make valued contributions in support of her teaching, speaking engagements, events and collaboration with other schools at Harvard and external organizations. The Faculty Assistant and Program Coordinator will play a key role in managing scheduling, communications, course development, and travel arrangements for Professor Jasanoff and her work with STS as well as coordinate all events for the program.

Specific duties include: 

Operations (20%) 

• Prepares and maintains all aspects of program operations including human resources and financial management and all events and conferences; trains graduate student and undergraduate assistants, handling appointments, assigning work, maintaining schedules, and ensuring work is completed in a timely manner. 
• Coordinates application processes for incoming international and national postdoctoral fellows; interfaces with applicants and candidates; communicates the Faculty Director’s decisions on selection to candidates; handles all paperwork for fellow appointments; troubleshoots issues such as visa requirements. 
• Under the direction and guidance of the Faculty Director, prepares and maintains budgets; monitors progress toward defined budget expenditures from a variety of funding sources. 
• Maintains and updates primary program websites (including sts.hks.harvard.edu, stsprogram.org/sdn, and the Director’s personal website (sheilajasanoff.org); publicizes events through internal and external mechanisms, including email campaigns and social media; assigns web work to fellows and graduate students as appropriate; anticipates and coordinates with the Executive Director on long-term web improvement projects; liaises with HKS and Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) staff to ensure smooth operations, including Director’s IT needs. 
• Coordinates all meetings of the Science and Democracy Network, an international academic network with more than 500 members; including weekly announcements, logistics for the Network’s annual meeting (held biennially in Europe), drafting calls for abstracts, coordinating with international partners, and managing registration and fee collection; serves as the Network’s primary point of contact, maintaining membership services, preparing and distributing weekly announcements to the mailing list in consultation with the  with the Faculty Director; and supports meetings of the Network’s Governing Council as needed. 

Faculty & Administrative Support (25%) 

• Work closely with the Faculty Director to prepare course materials, develop and maintain Canvas course pages, ensure materials and Canvas pages meet digital accessibility standards, and perform other duties as needed. 
• Coordinate office hours, liaise with course assistants, and field student inquiries. 
• Process reimbursements, corporate card, invoices, and other expenses, for Faculty Director as needed. 
• Coordinate travel arrangements for Faculty Director as needed. 

Conference and Event Management (40%) 

• Oversees all logistics of events and conferences including communication with speakers and travel arrangements; delegates staffing needs to students and fellows; manages facilities, catering, amenities, and meeting materials; negotiates with media services, hotels, caterers and vendors to stay within budgets as agreed with the Director. 
• Serves as lead organizer for collaborative events; liaises with faculty, staff, and fellows at the Harvard Data Scie