Assistant Director

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

34d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director reports to the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute’s Executive Director and is responsible for administrative oversight within the Institute and coordination for effective administrative support within the FAS federated service model as well as coordination with Harvard Global, the India Office, and other Mittal regional locations. The Assistant Director will be responsible for the execution of existing programs, as well as the Institute’s communications and outreach to stakeholders and the public. The Assistant Director will work with the Executive Director to expand the Institute’s impact and reach, including the creation of new programming activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, with minimum of seven years program management experience.
• Management experience.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Must have cultural and relational sensitivity.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are necessary, as well as demonstrated written and oral communication skills.
• Experience in an academic setting is strongly preferred.
• Customer service orientation with excellent organizational, logistical, and time management capabilities.
• Ability to work independently with strong attention to detail and follow-through are essential, along with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong commitment to continuous process improvement.
• Must enjoy working as part of a team and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite; Adobe InDesign and knowledge of WordPress preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee support from FAS functional teams to ensure the Institute receives aligned, responsive administrative support.
• Lead and execute administrative projects, coordinate responses to requests and priorities from the division, FAS, and broader University, the India Office, and other regional locations, and represent the Institute on committees and working groups as needed.
• Provides strategic resource stewardship (space, trade-trade-offs, grants, donor funds/reporting, delegated contracts, locally managed endowment funds, etc.) to Executive Director/Faculty Director and functional team members.
• Provide oversight of the Institute’s events and programs and administrative functions in consultation with the Executive Director.
• Provide managerial support for student programs, events, communications, the Visiting Fellows Program, Arts Program, and other projects and initiatives as they arise.
• Travel to the region, if needed, to support project staff in launching new programs and initiatives.
• Manage the Communications Manager, Arts Program Manager, Events Coordinator, and Scholars Engagement and Administrative Coordinator, and serve as backup for these functions as needed.
• Ensure effective coordination across team members; resolve complex operational and programmatic issues; and ensure that monitoring and evaluation protocols are implemented to promote accountability, assess outcomes, and support continuous improvement.
• Oversee the training, professional development, and performance management of direct reports.
• Support end-to-end faculty grant processes, including RFP development, application management, proposal review, and grant awards, in collaboration with the Executive Director.
• Manage ad hoc requests from faculty related to programs, research, conferences, and other Institute initiatives.
• Assist in the development and launch of new programs, including: Managing program logistics and providing guidance on MOU development and processing.
• Developing program rubrics and processes, coordinating logistics, and building connections with universities, nonprofit organizations, and other regional partners.
• Conduct research and analysis and prepare presentations, memos, reports, and other materials as needed.
• Collaborate with Institute staff and offices across the University to advance project objectives and ensure effective program implementation.
• Attends all meetings to manage real-time documentation, record detailed minutes, and track action items.
• Directs meeting logistics and delivers high-level administrative support.
• Work with the LMSAI Executive Director to lead strategy for outreach to MI community including donors, faculty and students.
• Connect donors to faculty in coordination with Executive Director.
• Connect with other departments proactively to plan joint events and to spread knowledge of MI programming.
• Facilitates the coordination of collaborative activities & events among and between the Institute’s programs, as well as with other Harvard depts/centers.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level