Senior Project Manager, The People Lab

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Why join the Harvard Kennedy School?

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one 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.

About The People Lab 

The People Lab, led by Professor Elizabeth Linos, is a research lab based at the Harvard Kennedy School that aims to empower the public sector by producing cutting-edge research on the people of government and the communities they are called to serve. Using evidence from public management and insights from behavioral science, we study, design, and test strategies that can solve urgent public sector challenges in three core areas:  

Strengthening the government workforce - how to recruit, retain and support diverse talent in the public sector that can effectively and equitably respond to the changing needs of residents. 

Improving resident-government interactions - how to reduce barriers to equitable access to government services, mitigate the burdens that residents face when they interact with their government, and increase trust and satisfaction through such interactions. 

Reimagining evidence-based policymaking - how to rethink the production and adoption of policy-relevant evidence in the public sector, including testing new approaches to designing interventions, encouraging evidence use, and scaling up best practice.  

The majority of our projects are co-designed with public sector partner agencies in order to ensure feasibility in the short-term and scalability in the long-term. 

The Senior Project Manager will manage the implementation of two large research projects for The People Lab. Each are described below and are estimated to be around 50% of the role. 

The National City Survey 

The People Lab will launch the first-ever national survey of city employees in 2026. This initiative will entail conducting an annual survey of city employees across the country, with the aim of empowering cities, researchers, and practitioners to better understand workforce challenges and address them in a timely and data-informed manner. The Senior Project Manager, working closely with a Data Scientist, will oversee the creation of a national panel data set of city employees as well as employee surveys in three cities to start, with the intention of scaling up to additional cities each year. They will coordinate across stakeholders; manage government partner relationships, timelines, and deliverables; coordinate all implementation logistics; support junior research staff in meeting their deliverables; and set up scalable operational infrastructure for conducting the survey annually.  

Policy Bot 

The Senior Project Manager will manage the development of an interactive AI bot that provides informed and accessible insights to policymakers aiming to develop and implement evidence-based policies. The work may entail (a) managing the process of gathering and categorizing evidence for different policy audiences, in collaboration with a research team; (b) project managing a series of behavioral experiments on how policymakers would use an AI bot; (c) managing and coordinating with multiple stakeholders for public-facing versions of an AI bot, including academics, developers, communications teams, and funders. They will be responsible for coordinating across stakeholders; managing timelines and deliverables; coordinating all implementation logistics; supporting junior research staff in meeting their deliverables, and setting up operational infrastructure for a sustainable product over time. 

This position is ideal for candidates that feel comfortable working with a team, leading meetings with government and with academics, and managing multiple different workstreams in a very fast-paced environment.  

This is a full-time, one-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal.

Job-Specific Responsibilities: (include, but are not limited to)

The Senior Project Manager will: 

• Coordinate the creation of a scalable survey infrastructure, including managing workflows and processes for conducting an annual employee survey in select partner cities, and in a nationally representative panel. 

• Coordinate the creation of a scalable AI tool, including managing workflows and processes for validation of the tool itself as well as processes for its uptake and scaling. 

• Develop and manage relationships with government partners including building buy-in for projects , managing regular engagement and communication, coordinating legal agreements, troubleshooting issues, and being the main point of contact for those partners. 

• Manage project timelines, logistics, and deliverables within and across projects. 

• Oversee the full implementation pipeline, including IRB protocols, and setting up scalable infrastructure. 

• Support report writing, grant writing, and fundraising as necessary. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Basic Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in a related field required (e.g., public policy, management, statistics etc). 

• Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience. 

• Prior experience conducting or supporting applied research. 

Important application instructions: Your resume/CV should include your cumulative GPA in college and (if applicable) grad school. Please include a cover letter with your application - you can upload your resume and cover letter as one document or as an attachment.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with the first review starting on September 2, 2025.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Excellent organizational and communication skills, including exceptional writing skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to drive to big picture goals while maintaining a strong attention to detail. 

• Demonstrated experience in managing multiple activities simultaneously, delivering on commitments, and operating with speed, accuracy, and strong judgment. 

• Demonstrated experience managing client relationships, managing projects independently, meeting project timelines, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders in a productive, professional, and timely manner. 

• Experience with and understanding of survey design and methods preferred. 

• Experience working in the public sector or on public sector challenges preferred. 

• 5-7 years of management experience preferred. 

• Appointment End Date: This is a full-time, fully benefits-eligible, one-year term appointment with the possibility of renewal.
• 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
• Work format: This position is based on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, MA, with the hybrid option to work up to 2 day/week remote.

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 058. 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.