Senior Manager of Operations, Communications and Public Affairs

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Why join the Harvard Kennedy School?

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one of 12 graduate and professional schools at the university. Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match. When you work at Harvard Kennedy School, you make a difference.

Job Summary:

The Senior Manager of Operations is a pivotal operational and project management partner to the Chief Communications Officer (CCO), responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and executing all operations within Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) Office of Communications and Public Affairs (OCPA). This leader drives the operations of the communications department, including office administration, project management, and tracking of goals and effectiveness. In this role, you will help drive the seamless integration of workstreams managed by four departmental directors—ensuring alignment, on-time delivery, and optimal outcomes for office-wide priorities.  

The ideal candidate for this role is a results-driven project manager and operations professional who thrives in fast-moving, multifaceted environments. This person thrives on optimizing an office’s systems and processes, identifying areas for improvement, finding solutions, and collaborating across the teams. They are a strategic thinker with advanced project management expertise, skilled at building and executing detailed project plans, managing competing priorities, and optimizing processes and budgets across various teams. This leader brings proven experience shepherding large-scale initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, accelerated timelines, and high organizational visibility. They lead proactively—anticipating issues, identifying risks, and ensuring that all projects are executed efficiently, effectively, and collaboratively. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Develop and monitor detailed project timelines, milestones, and deliverables; proactively track progress, resolve potential roadblocks, and provide regular status updates to leadership. Oversee and implement processes to track the Communications team’s annual workplan and progress toward departmental goals; collaborate with Communications Leadership to develop effective tracking systems.
• Serve a key project manager for the Office of Communications and Public Affairs (OCPA), partnering with the CCO to lead project planning, execution, and delivery for office operations and strategic initiatives—including complex, high-profile communications campaigns.
• Work with the CCO to strategically manage the budget, ensuring strategic and timely spending while identifying forward-looking opportunities. Manage financial systems such as invoicing, office-wide recurring expenses, and external vendors.
• Organize, schedule, and facilitate excellent team meetings, ensuring agendas are relevant, timely, and impactful.
• Drive cross-functional coordination and project alignment by facilitating communication, information sharing, and timely decision-making among the four OCPA directors and relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee project planning for key office activities, including effective meeting cadence, retreats, report management, coordination of freelancers and in-office vendors, and execution of recurring operational processes.
• Manage the office’s financial operations and project budgets, ensuring strategic allocation and timely spending, accurate invoicing, and optimization of financial resources across all projects and initiatives.
• Foster and maintain effective relationships with external vendors, ensuring all deliverables meet our standards, deadlines, and budget requirements.
• Advise and brief the CCO on project status, key updates, risks, and opportunities, enabling data-driven decision-making and agile response to emerging challenges.
• Support the development of materials and key content—including webinars, retreats, and leadership presentations—tailored to audiences such as the Dean’s Council, Visiting Committee, and all-staff meetings, in partnership with the appropriate team.
• Lead process improvements and workflow optimization initiatives, continuously identifying and implementing enhancements to increase productivity, collaboration, and project outcomes across the team.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of professional experience in operations, communications, public affairs, media relations, as a chief of staff, project manager, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience/interest in the field of communications, public service, government, or politics, through education or professional experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Exceptional organizational, project management, and process improvement skills. Fluency with project management processes and systems. 
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with a collaborative mindset and diplomatic approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to see the “big picture” while managing details and multiple priorities.
• Experience working in a complex, matrixed environment or with cross-functional teams with tight deadlines.
• Experience managing budgets.
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.

• 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
• Other Information: This position is based on our campus in Cambridge, MA. It requires working in-person a minimum of 3 days per week during the academic year.

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Work Format Details

This is a position that is based at a Harvard campus location with some remote work options available. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). 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 057. 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, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, 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.