JULY 07, 2025

001163SR

• Full-time
• Boston
• Hybrid
• Harvard Business School

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.

DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

The mission of Harvard Business School (HBS) is to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Within HBS, the DRFD helps to build and develop the faculty and facilitates the creation of enduring knowledge that shapes both business scholarship and the practice of business by providing unparalleled faculty support. The School’s largest administrative department, the DRFD houses approximately 350 full-time and part-time staff members. As a premier service organization, and in collaboration with colleagues across the School, the DRFD staff delivers high-touch, customized support to the faculty, demonstrating solid judgment and high standards of responsiveness and professionalism.
Job Description
The Assistant Director of Sponsored Research Administration is a member of a cross-functional team supporting a wide range of research programs and activities for the HBS faculty and its governance. Reporting to the Director, Research Funding, and working closely with members of the Research Administration team, HBS faculty, and administrative partners at HBS, the Assistant Director will be responsible for launching an internal sponsored research program and leading the administrative infrastructure for sponsored research support for the research community at HBS. The Assistant Director’s primary responsibilities include: 1) providing expert guidance, dissemination, support, and training across all areas of sponsored research; 2) developing and managing processes and procedures related to sponsored research for the HBS community (including but not limited to faculty, doctoral students, administrators, and staff); and 3) providing support to the HBS and DRFD leadership.
The Assistant Director provides a broad range of funder, pre-award, and post-award process expertise and support to HBS faculty and researchers engaged in sponsored research and to other staff working to support research initiatives and projects throughout the School. Specific responsibilities include:

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master’s degree, or equivalent work experience required.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible and relevant experience, including the development and implementation of administrative policies, regulations, and procedures related to sponsored research.
• Experience with federal and non-federal grants management policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated knowledge of research compliance domains, including the protection of human subjects in research, export controls, conflict of interest policies, and international research risk management.
• Experience should include evidence of strong project management skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to work collaboratively across teams and units with faculty and staff throughout an organization.
• Experience working within a complex academic or research environment culture and the related expectations and norms.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects and initiatives, both collaboratively and independently.
• Collaborative, creative problem-solver, excellent team player with maturity, judgment and diplomacy, comfort with ambiguity and changing priorities.
• An understanding of and ability to manage confidential information.
• The ability to communicate with a diverse group of people with sensitivity.
• A strong customer service orientation with experience exercising diplomacy with high profile clients.
• Takes initiative and ownership of work, following through to completion and executing with an appropriate sense of urgency.
  Additional Information

Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week

• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Criminal
• Other Information: This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice.We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

Please refer the Job description for details