Associate Director of Student Funding

Harvard University • Boston, MA

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Student Funding provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for student funding programs administered by Harvard Medical School’s Office for Graduate Education (OGE), serving PhD and master’s students. The role develops and implements policies, systems, and business processes to support accurate, compliant, and efficient administration of tuition, stipends, fellowships, and other student funding.

As the institutional subject matter expert on student funding operations, the Associate Director leads the design and implementation of funding workflows that support changing institutional priorities, including a new funding model for PhD students at HMS affiliate hospitals. The role also leads modernization of funding systems by defining business requirements, partnering with University Information Systems and other stakeholders on system selection and implementation, and improving reporting, data integrity, and operational efficiency. The position supervises, mentors, and develops the Student Funding Coordinator.

The position is hybrid. The department determines the schedule and work location based on operational needs; when working away from a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard-registered state in compliance with university policy. The schedule is 35 hours per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and advanced Excel skills.
• Knowledge of advanced financial principles, budget management, and financial analysis.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or a master’s degree in a relevant field.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve policies, procedures, and internal controls for student funding administration.
• Lead operational planning to support changing institutional priorities and evolving funding models.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert on student funding policies, funding mechanisms, and business processes.
• Analyze funding trends and prepare analyses, dashboards, and executive reports to inform leadership decisions and long-range planning.
• Coordinate student fellowship fundraising with the Development office and OGE leadership.
• Oversee tuition, stipend, fellowship, and other funding administration for PhD and master’s students.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant processing of funding transactions across multiple funding sources.
• Oversee the student funding database and maintain the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of funding records.
• Review complex funding situations and resolve issues requiring interpretation of university policies and funding guidelines.
• Develop reporting and reconciliation processes and serve as the escalation point for complex funding questions.
• Oversee HGSU-compliant funding.
• Lead design, implementation, and continuous improvement of processes supporting the evolving PhD funding model for HMS affiliate hospitals.
• Map current and future-state workflows, identify operational risks, and implement scalable solutions.
• Develop standardized procedures across academic programs, departments, and affiliate institutions.
• Establish performance metrics and key performance indicators.
• Own assessment, selection, implementation, and ongoing optimization of a modern student funding management system.
• Develop functional and business requirements for software solutions with University Information Systems and key stakeholders.
• Lead business process design, user acceptance testing, data validation, and implementation for new systems.
• Develop reporting capabilities and dashboards.
• Coordinate sponsored-award-supported student funding with the Sponsored Programs team while maintaining clear separation of operational responsibilities.
• Collaborate with GSAS, HMS Finance, affiliate hospitals, academic program leadership, department administrators, and other university offices on funding activities and complex issues.
• Represent OGE on university committees and working groups.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop the Student Funding Coordinator.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off, including parental leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision 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: Senior