Executive Director, Harvard Impact Labs

18-Nov-2024

Executive Director, Harvard Impact Labs

Harvard Kennedy School

67420BR

Job Summary

Harvard Impact Labs (HIL) is a new initiative, led by faculty co-chairs Danielle Allen and Jeffrey Liebman, that will create an infrastructure at Harvard to launch and support faculty-led impact labs. Through these labs, interested faculty members and their students will collaborate with local communities throughout the U.S. and around the world to discover and implement solutions to difficult social problems. These engagements will deepen theory and basic social science, build a new body of impact expertise in the social sciences, and generate tangible real-world progress on problems that need solutions. HIL will provide the institutional backbone for the individual initiatives to be successful – training for faculty, an intellectual community of scholars working in similar ways, and administrative and financial support. Initial components of the initiative are expected to include: an annual 9-month faculty workshop for a cohort of 10 faculty members to help them develop and prepare to launch an impact lab, ad hoc coaching for faculty around the university who want advice on conducting engaged research, a competitive grant process to award several start-up grants each year to enable faculty to start labs, and sabbatical support to enable faculty to spend sabbaticals working in government or at nonprofits. 

HIL seeks to hire an Executive Director.  Reporting directly to the faculty co-chairs, the Executive Director will be involved in and responsible for executing on all aspects of launching and delivering this initiative.
 

Position Description

The Executive Director will be responsible for:

Strategy. The executive director is responsible for working with the faculty co-chairs to figure out how best to structure the initiative to achieve its goals.

Thought leadership. The executive director is expected to be a nationally prominent leader in discussions around social impact and university-community-government partnerships designed to achieve breakthroughs.

Faculty engagement and coaching. The executive director is expected to help develop and deliver curriculum for the faculty workshop, coach faculty members on their projects, and engage with faculty and staff at other universities who are doing similar work.

Building up a team and establishing team culture. The executive director is responsible for developing a plan for how to staff the initiative and for recruiting, training, and managing the additional team members.  The executive director is responsible for creating a strong, collegial, and inclusive culture that contributes to retention and project success.

Management and operations. In addition to managing team members, the executive director is responsible for ensuring that all components of the initiative are successful, that expenditures are in line with the mission, and that all compliance requirements are met.

Development. The executive director is responsible for working with the faculty chairs to develop a strategy to raise additional funding for this initiative, create communications materials describing the initiative, and pitch the initiative to potential donors.

Basic Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent. 
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience working in government, community-based organizations, and/or academic impact lab settings.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Exceptional track record as organizational leader.
• Experience coming up with and implementing strategies that make a difference in local communities.
• Ability to speak credibly, both externally and in interactions with Harvard faculty, about the steps necessary to generate, test, and spread solutions to challenging social problems.
• Track record of attention to detail and risk-mitigation.
• Proven ability to lead an entrepreneurial activity within the confines of a large organization.

Additional Information

This position is a fully benefits-eligible term appointment ending one year from date of hire, with possibility of renewal. 

We regret that the Harvard Kennedy School does not provide visa sponsorship.

Harvard University requires pre-employment reference and background checks.

Harvard University is committed to supporting a healthy, sustainable learning and working environment.

This is a hybrid position based on our campus in Cambridge, MA. As a campus-based institution, we place a high value on the in-person experience, cross-team collaboration, and strong community building in order to create a vibrant campus for our students, faculty, staff, and research fellows. The position is required to work in-person on campus a minimum of three days per week during the academic year. Specific days and schedule will be determined between you and your manager.

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

 

Work Format Details

This is a hybrid position that is based in Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

About Us

The Taubman Center for State and Local Government and its affiliated institutes and programs are the Kennedy School of Government's focal points for activities that address state and local governance and intergovernmental relations. Our mission is to support current and future public sector leaders in improving the governance of states, counties, metropolitan regions, and cities through research, teaching, programs, and convenings.

The Taubman Center works to:

• Develop the next generation of state and local government leaders
• Generate big ideas and solutions to state and local government challenges
• Help state and local government implement and scale solutions

The Taubman Center focuses on urban policy issues, including economic development, transportation, education, public infrastructure, land use, social services, public sector technology and data utilization, procurement, and performance management.

To learn more, visit our website (https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman). 

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Job Function

General Administration

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Cambridge

Job Code

361060 Administrative Manager

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Sub-Unit

------------

Salary Grade

060

Department

Taubman Center for State and Local Government

Annual Salary Range

$121,200-$215,600

Union

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Time Status

Full-time

Pre-Employment Screening

Education, Identity

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Harvard Kennedy School’s Mission and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism
 
At Harvard Kennedy School, fostering a diverse and inclusive community where everyone feels they belong is a matter of basic fairness consistent with our core values as an institution. It is also essential to our mission of improving public policy and leadership—because recruiting the best people and creating an environment where they can thrive make us better at what we do, because we learn more from people with different perspectives, and because we work in diverse groups and serve diverse societies. Learn more about Harvard Kennedy School’s commitment to Diversity Equity, and Anti-Racism.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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