Senior Administrative 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 T.H. Chan School of Public Health?

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a world-renowned institution dedicated to advancing public health through cutting-edge research, education, and global collaboration. Our school is a special place to work because of its vibrant, mission-driven community, interdisciplinary approach, and commitment to addressing some of the most pressing health challenges worldwide. We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where innovation, continuous learning, and work-life balance are valued.

Learn more about the School’s mission, objectives, and core values, our Principles of Citizenship, and about the Dean’s AAA vision about our school’s ongoing strategic initiatives.

Job Description

Job Summary:

The overarching mission of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is to advance the public’s health through learning, discovery, and communication. To pursue this mission, the School produces knowledge through research, reproduces knowledge through higher education, and translates knowledge into evidence that can be communicated to the public, policymakers, and practitioners to advance the health of populations. In pursuit of these bold goals, the Dean’s Office (“DO”) works to support, strengthen, and champion the efforts of the School’s faculty, students, and staff.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Senior Administrative Coordinator works independently to provide high level executive support, complex project management, and plays a significant role within the dean’s office supporting cross-department coordination in a fast-paced office environment.  They are the main point of contact for the Chief of Staff (COS) and has significant impact for the Dean’s support team. They work on a wide array of complex and confidential activities, ranging from supporting senior-level staffing for the dean, dean-level recruitment activities, and research and coordination for confidential briefings. This position prioritizes competing demands; handles matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows-through on projects to completion, often with deadline pressures. They liaise with senior leadership team members as well as University-level colleagues and represent the office with the highest level of professionalism.

This position requires exceptional judgement and discretion, given the critical confidential nature of their role.  The Senior Administrative Coordinator designs, implements, and continuously refines comprehensive administrative systems and workflows to manage the office’s high volume of complex activities. A successful candidate will have the ability to anticipate needs, evaluate and draw meaningful connections between competing priorities, and proactively problem-solve. They must be adept at independently managing long-term projects while seamlessly shifting to address urgent, time-sensitive matters as they arise. They display poise under pressure, all while producing exceptional results and excellence in all deliverables. The Senior Administrative Coordinator serves as a trusted resource across the office, demonstrating exceptional reliability, initiative, and adaptability while managing responsibilities ranging from routine operational needs to complex, high-priority projects.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinates closely with the dean’s office team to ensure all pertinent staff remain informed of evolving priorities from the Dean and the Chief of Staff
• Train the Senior Executive Assistant to the Dean and provide backup and guidance as needed
• In the absence of, or at the request of, the Deputy Chief of Staff, provides executive-level staffing for the Dean’s leadership meetings
• Facilitates timely communication of updates; tracks action items requiring follow-up
• Coordinates various administrative activities at the direction of the Deputy COS including supporting recruitments, coordinating onboarding training, contributing to job postings, IT setup
• Strategic calendar management:
  • Plans and prioritizes meetings based on competing