Assistant Director, Operations, MBA Admissions & Financial Aid

Assistant Director, Operations, MBA Admissions & Financial Aid Full-time Work Format: Hybrid Harvard Job Function: General Administration Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary Salary Grade: 057 Department: MBA & Doctoral Programs FLSA Status: Exempt 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 Harvard Business School? Harvard Business School, located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, was founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University. It is among the world's most trusted sources of management education and thought leadership. For more than a century, the School's faculty has combined a passion for teaching with rigorous research conducted alongside practitioners at world-leading organizations to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, learning, and entrepreneurship that includes MBA, Doctoral, Executive Education, and Online programs, as well as numerous initiatives, centers, institutes, and labs, Harvard Business School fosters bold new ideas and collaborative learning networks that shape the future of business.

Job Summary: The Assistant Director, Operations for Admissions and Financial Aid serves as the technical and systems lead for the MBA Admissions and Financial Aid teams. Reporting to the Director, Operations and partnering closely with the Director, Financial Aid, this position oversees the systems, applications, data flows, and operational processes that support recruitment, application review, interview and evaluation activities, financial aid administration, and student-facing programs. The role combines advanced Slate administration, application and workflow design, systems integration, data security, project leadership, and cross-functional consultation. The Assistant Director translates business and program needs into secure, sustainable technical solutions; serves as a trusted thought partner to senior leaders; and coordinates work across Admissions, Financial Aid, MBA IT, Technolutions, and other MBA and Harvard partners. The position routinely handles highly confidential Level 4 data and exercises independent judgment in protecting information, managing access, and resolving complex operational and technical issues. Job-Specific Responsibilities: Strategic Operations and Systems Leadership Lead technical and systems strategy across MBA Admissions and Financial Aid, aligning platform capabilities with program priorities and annual operating cycles. Serve as the primary technology lead and main point of contact for HBS IT and Technolutions on upgrades, system requests, issue resolution, and longer-term improvements. Translate operational requirements into scalable workflows, forms, portals, reports, and processes across Admissions Slate, Financial Aid Slate, PowerFaids, the student information system, and related platforms. Lead cross-team planning for projects involving Outreach, Evaluation, Yield, Financial Aid, Joint Programs, Career and Professional Development, External Relations, and other MBA departments. Evaluate emerging technologies and serve as a resource on responsible use of automation and AI-enabled tools in Admissions operations. Admissions Application and Evaluation Operations Lead all phases of the MBA and 2+2 application lifecycle, including annual design, creation, testing, updates, release, decision notification, and ongoing maintenance. Oversee application processing and the supporting workflows for applicants, Admissions Board readers, interviewers, and observers. Manage the technical and operational components of the interview and observer process, including forms, schedules, pairing, communications, Zoom observer logistics, system