Social Sciences Director of Divisional Strategy and Programs

Social Sciences Director of Divisional Strategy and Programs Full-time Work Format: Hybrid Harvard Job Function: General Administration Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary Salary Grade: 060 Department: Social Science Division 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 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 Social Sciences Division spans a broad range of disciplines, departments, and scholarly traditions. The Director of Divisional Strategy and Programs brings coherence to that complexity, tracking the full landscape of divisional initiatives, analyzing what's working and where opportunity exists, and ensuring that the Dean and departmental leaders have the information and support they need to make good decisions. Working in close partnership with the Dean, the Director combines the analytical rigor of a researcher with the relationship skills of a seasoned institutional leader. They are equally comfortable running statistical analyses and managing difficult conversations. They lead some initiatives directly, coordinate others, and know how to calibrate their involvement so that existing relationships across the division continue to function as they should. This is a role that calls for candor, curiosity, discretion, and a genuine interest in people and the institutions they build. Job-Specific Responsibilities: Serve as chief of staff to the Divisional Dean, maintaining broad situational awareness across the division and ensuring priorities, projects, and problems receive appropriate and timely attention Work closely with the dean’s office and others in FAS to develop and maintain a comprehensive view of divisional projects and initiatives, building systems for tracking progress, surfacing risks, and communicating status to leadership Design and facilitate regular divisional review sessions that surface emerging challenges, assess departmental performance, and track outcomes across the division over time Conduct rigorous quantitative analysis to identify patterns in enrollment, student outcomes, and course evaluations, and to help the division understand how departments and programs can improve their effectiveness in teaching and other dimensions Partner with departments to develop realistic short- and long-term plans for growth and capacity-building, particularly where departmental ambitions and current resources are not yet fully aligned Lead select strategic initiatives directly while coordinating or providing oversight on others, calibrating involvement to what each workstream requires 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 Provide candid, direct counsel to the Dean, including honest assessments of