Director of Strategy and Programs (Science)

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences?

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872), Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

Job Description

Job Summary

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.

Job-Specific 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

Working Conditions

Physical Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

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

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• 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

Additional Information

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Criminal, Credit

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 060. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• 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

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.