Fellowships and Operations Manager

Harvard University • Cambridge, MA

27d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is the hub of Harvard Kennedy School's research, teaching, and training in international security and diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology policy. The Belfer Center was named a “Center of Excellence” by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program in 2021 – the last year of its ranking program – in recognition of the Center’s six consecutive years as the world’s #1 university-affiliated think tank. The Center has a dual mission: (1) to provide leadership in advancing policy-relevant knowledge about the most important challenges of international security and other critical issues where science, technology, environmental policy, and international affairs intersect; and (2) to prepare future generations of leaders for these arenas. The Fellowships and Operations Manager plays a key role in supporting the Belfer Center’s fellowship portfolio at Harvard Kennedy School. As a member of the Operations team and reporting to the Director for Operations, the Manager helps build a vibrant fellows community that promotes dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking among scholars and practitioners in science and international affairs. The Operations team develops and implements Center-wide activities, policies, and procedures; within this team, the Fellowship and Operation Manager leads programming for Director’s Fellows and oversees core administrative processes for the fellowship portfolio across the center. The role works closely with the Operations and Administration Manager, and other staff supporting Belfer Center leadership. The position requires you to work in-person on campus for a minimum of four days per week during the academic year.

Requirements

• BA/BS and at least 5 years of related professional experience.
• A complete application must include a cover letter.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Collaborative and team-oriented mindset, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• A proactive attitude, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, iwave and CMS platforms.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge or interest in science, international affairs, and policy issues is desirable.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (such as Political Science, International Relations, or a related discipline) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full fellowship lifecycle: including application, selection, and onboarding, collaborating closely with Human Resources, the Office of Research Administration, and the Salesforce team to support all Center fellows.
• Lead end-to-end fellowship operations, including orientation, onboarding/off-boarding manuals, HR workflows for nominations and processing in Salesforce, and staff training on fellowship policies and procedures.
• Maintain and analyze Salesforce data on fellows to produce engagement reports, inform policy recommendations, and support continuous improvement of the fellowship cycle.
• Manage nomination paperwork and onboarding logistics for the Center Director’s fellows, serve as their main point of contact, and support their administrative needs and visits to the Belfer Center throughout the academic year.
• Develop, coordinate, and support programming and research outputs for Director’s Fellows and Senior Fellows, including study groups, conferences, seminars, and related activities.
• Design and execute marketing campaigns, including email outreach, social media, web content, and info sessions to raise awareness of Belfer Center fellowship opportunities and attract a diverse pool of applicants.
• Strengthen the Belfer fellows’ community by organizing alumni engagement, developing a Belfer Alumni network, and partnering with Communications to create internal and external fellowship-related content.
• Support the application and selection process for student fellowship cohorts at the Center.
• Manage and coordinate student programming with the Director’s Fellows at the Belfer Center.
• Contribute to the Operations team's routine outputs and strategic goals.
• Facilitate training and hiring of student workers and additional financial work related to internal Harvard payment systems such as Buy2Pay and Concur.
• Reconcile payments and bookings for travel using Buy2Pay.
• Ad-hoc research related to prospective donor vetting using iwave, risk assessment and vetting for fellows.
• Lead the design and preparation of stewardship materials, proposals, and giving reports.

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
• Education Level: Associate degree