Director of Strategy and Programs (Science)

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Division of Sciences encompasses a wide range of departments, research enterprises, and operational demands that together create a dynamic and richly complex academic environment. The Director of Divisional Strategy and Programs serves as a senior partner to the Divisional Dean, helping to manage a broad portfolio of initiatives, ensuring that the division's most significant projects receive the sustained leadership they deserve, and translating strategic priorities into well-structured, executable plans. This is a role for someone with exceptional business acumen and a genuine talent for working across organizational boundaries. The Director will lead some initiatives directly and serve as the Dean's delegate on others, stepping into complex workstreams and providing the structure, coordination, and senior judgment needed to drive them forward. The ideal candidate is a skilled, collaborative operator who strengthens how the division works without adding unnecessary complexity.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required
• Minimum 10 years of experience in strategy and administration
• Experience developing and executing multi-year strategic plans

Nice To Haves

• MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred
• Higher education or similarly complex organizational experience strongly preferred
• Exceptional business acumen, including the ability to quickly assess financial implications, operational trade-offs, and institutional dynamics
• Highly collaborative, with a demonstrated ability to build trust and work effectively with a wide range of academic and administrative partners
• Skilled at establishing credibility quickly and providing structure within complex, fast-moving workstreams
• Able to strengthen coordination across teams and functions while preserving existing relationships and ways of working
• Strong project leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams across a large division
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and persuasively to a range of audiences
• Self-directed and autonomous, with the drive to initiate and follow through independently while maintaining close and consistent alignment with the Dean and divisional leadership
• Transparent and collaborative working style, with a commitment to keeping the Dean and all relevant stakeholders well-informed and engaged at every stage
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive organizational, financial, and institutional matters

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Dean to shape and advance the division's strategic priorities, translating long-range goals into actionable plans with clear owners, timelines, and measurable outcomes
• Lead the annual and multi-year strategic planning process, translating priorities into a clear divisional roadmap with concrete goals, timelines, and accountabilities
• Serve as the Dean's delegate on high-priority projects and workstreams, including organizational reviews of individual departments, major capital and facilities initiatives, and efforts with significant financial or operational implications
• Assess departmental structures, workflows, and resource alignment, developing practical recommendations that strengthen organizational effectiveness across the division
• Identify opportunities to improve cross-functional coordination and streamline how work flows across the division, without adding organizational layers or complexity
• Partner with leaders across the division and FAS (finance, HR, operations, etc.) to ensure workstreams are well-integrated and the right expertise is engaged at the right time
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Dean, providing well-framed decision support on complex issues, emerging opportunities, and time-sensitive matters; frame options clearly, identify trade-offs, and drive toward alignment
• Track and communicate progress against strategic priorities, surfacing risks early, recommending course corrections, and ensuring the Dean and key stakeholders have a clear and current picture of divisional initiatives

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: Director