Director of Program Operations, Data, & Systems, MBA Program

Harvard University FAS Human Resources; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard Business School is seeking a Director of Program Operations, Data, & Systems to lead an integrated portfolio supporting the MBA Program and Registrar's Office. Reporting to the Managing Director, Registrar, this role coordinates priorities across teams and ensures strong execution and operational performance.

The Director connects people, processes, data, and technology to enhance the MBA experience for students and faculty, leading systems transformation and building analytics

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Program Operations, Data, and Systems team through two senior functional leaders, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and expectations for performance while strengthening leadership and organizational capability.
• Translate MBA Program and Registrar's Office strategy into coordinated priorities, work plans, and resource decisions; align work across teams and actively manage dependencies, competing priorities, and execution risks.
• Foster a culture of strong execution, collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability; exercise judgment and provide leadership on complex issues, ensuring timely decision-making, escalation, and resolution.
• Provide leadership and oversight for core academic program and course operations, ensuring reliable, efficient, and student- and faculty-centered delivery of critical MBA services and processes.
• Lead ongoing evaluation and redesign of business processes, workflows, service models, and organizational practices to improve quality, efficiency, scalability, and stakeholder experience.
• Apply a systems perspective to identify connections and opportunities across operations, policy, data, technology, and organizational processes, leading improvements from problem definition through implementation and assessment.

Job description

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 Description

Job Summary

The Director of Program Operations, Data, & Systems provides leadership for an integrated portfolio of academic program operations, data and analytics, and business systems supporting the Harvard Business School MBA Program. Reporting to the Managing Director, Registrar, this role leads through senior functional managers and is responsible for translating MBA Program and Registrar's Office priorities into coordinated plans, aligning resources and work across teams, and ensuring strong execution and operational performance.

The Director is a systems-oriented leader who connects people, processes, data, and technology to improve delivery of the MBA academic program and the student and faculty experience. The role provides senior business-side leadership for systems transformation and serves as a key representative of MBA academic program priorities in partnership with HBS IT and School leadership. The Director leads continuous improvement and transformation across the portfolio and develops the organizational and analytical capabilities required to support increasingly data-informed operations and decision-making.

As a member of the Registrar's Office leadership team, the Director builds and develops a high-performing, collaborative organization capable of delivering reliable core operations while adapting to changing program needs and advancing strategic priorities.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Execution

• Lead and develop the Program Operations, Data, and Systems team through two senior functional leaders, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and expectations for performance while strengthening leadership and organizational capability.
• Translate MBA Program and Registrar's Office strategy into coordinated priorities, work plans, and resource decisions; align work across teams and actively manage dependencies, competing priorities, and execution risks.
• Foster a culture of strong execution, collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability; exercise judgment and provide leadership on complex issues, ensuring timely decision-making, escalation, and resolution.

Academic Program Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Provide leadership and oversight for core academic program and course operations, ensuring reliable, efficient, and student- and faculty-centered delivery of critical MBA services and processes.
• Lead ongoing evaluation and redesign of business processes, workflows, service models, and organizational practices to improve quality, efficiency, scalability, and stakeholder experience.
• Apply a systems perspective to identify connections and opportunities across operations, policy, data, technology, and organizational processes, leading improvements from problem definition through implementation and assessment.

Business Systems & Transformation

• Provide senior business-side leadership for major systems and digitally enabled transformation initiatives affecting the MBA academic program, translating program strategy and priorities into