Associate Director of Programs, HBS Foundry

Harvard University • Boston, MA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Programs will oversee Foundry’s marquee founder and venture development programs: Bootcamps, Venture Catalysts and Funding Competitions. Reporting to Foundry’s Director, the Associate Director of Programs will own Foundry programming for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer customers and lead a team of staff to design and execute the programming. The role works in close collaboration with internal functional teams, faculty advisors, faculty / expert speakers, mentors, and customers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field required
• 7+ years of program management and execution experience

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Strategic thinker with very strong execution skills in fast-paced, growth-stage environments
• Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship-management skills
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative approach; comfortable building and operating in ambiguity as the organization scales
• Comfort leveraging AI tools and emerging technologies to enhance program delivery and operations

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end strategy, calendar, and P&L for Foundry's three marquee programs: Bootcamps, Venture Catalysts, and Funding Competitions
• Set annual and quarterly goals for program reach, quality, and revenue across both business-to-business (university, government, and accelerator partners) and business-to-consumer (direct-to-founder) audiences
• Continuously evolve program curriculum and format based on founder outcomes, partner feedback, and competitive landscape
• Design and oversee program execution for each cohort from planning through delivery, including curriculum sequencing, session logistics, and founder selection criteria
• Ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across audiences and cohorts as Foundry scales into new markets
• Build and maintain the operational playbooks, templates, and systems needed to run programs efficiently at increasing volume
• Manage program budgets, timelines, and vendor relationships
• Manage and develop a team of program staff supporting day-to-day design and execution
• Set clear roles, workflows, and performance expectations across the program team
• Coach staff on founder engagement, facilitation, and program operations
• Deploy AI to streamline workflows and create efficiencies without replacing the personal touches needed for customer relationships.
• Recruit, brief, and manage faculty advisors, faculty and expert speakers, and mentors participating in programs
• Serve as the primary point of contact for faculty and mentor logistics, scheduling, and content alignment with program goals
• Build a growing bench of mentors and speakers to support Foundry's expansion
• Partner with internal functional teams (marketing, partnerships, technology/AI product, and operations) to align program delivery with broader Foundry strategy
• Work with the AI/product team to integrate Foundry's AI tools and platform into live program experiences
• Coordinate with the business development team on B2B customer requirements and customization needs
• Serve as a primary relationship owner for B2C paying customers enrolled in programs
• Gather and act on customer feedback to improve program satisfaction, retention, and referral
• Represent Foundry externally at partner and customer touchpoints, including program kickoffs and demo days
• Define and track key program metrics (enrollment, completion, satisfaction, founder outcomes, revenue) and report results to Foundry's Director
• Use data to identify what's working, what to cut, and where to invest as programs scale
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents
• Perform 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: Manager