Faculty Administrative Assistant, Division of Research and Facutly Development

Harvarduniversity; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard University in Boston seeks a Faculty Support Specialist to provide essential administrative support to Harvard Business School faculty. This hybrid role blends on-site and remote work, with on-site presence three days per week to coordinate calendars, travel, and teaching materials.

You will manage complex schedules, assist with syllabi and grading, prepare documents, and build strong relationships with faculty and staff.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years in administrative, clerical, executive support, coordination, or related role.
• Education beyond high school may count toward experience.
• Hands-on experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Supports multiple faculty and liaises between students, instructors, and departments.
• Manages complex calendars and coordinates travel arrangements and visas.
• Prepares syllabi, materials, and presentations; assists with grading.
• Compiles and edits documents for teaching and research materials.
• Builds relationships with faculty, staff, and external partners.
• Handles expense reimbursements and basic office management tasks.

Skills

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Customer service

Independent worker

Team player

Reliability

Resourceful

Collaboration

Adaptability

Social media basics

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you excited by the idea of joining a world-class organization at the intersection of higher education and business? As the professors' administrative assistant, Faculty Support Specialists provide valuable tactical and administrative help to our faculty in support of Harvard Business School's mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Reporting to a Manager of Unit and Faculty Support, the Faculty Support Specialist (FSS) supports faculty with complex administrative duties related to their teaching, research, and other responsibilities. An FSS will act as a seamless extension of the faculty they support and will work closely with other Faculty Support Specialists across ten academic units, as well as with their manager. Faculty Support Specialists also work with and assist peers on activities that support teaching, research, finance, and other departments.

Responsibilities Include:

• Administratively supports multiple faculty, while acting as a liaison between students, other instructors, and various HBS and University departments
• Provides support to faculty and/or other projects on a short-term and long-term basis based on business needs and varying team support requirements
• Supports faculty when they are teaching and with course platform; assembling and editing syllabi, supporting the grading process, preparing materials and presentations for class; coordinating arrangements for class visitors, etc.
• Manages and coordinates extremely active, complex calendars; scheduling appointments, meetings, and events
• Performs basic online research; retrieves books, articles, and other information
• Prepares documents for articles, cases, teaching and research materials, which may include proofreading, formatting exhibits, citations, and organizing files
• Composes, prepares, and edits professional correspondence that is sometimes confidential
• Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and external partners
• Coordinates complex travel arrangements, itineraries, and travel visas
• Prepares, tracks, and processes expense reimbursements in a timely and accurate manner
• Performs office management responsibilities such as ordering supplies, maintaining a clean working environment, greeting visitors, and responding to correspondence in a timely manner on the faculty's behalf
• May manage the administrative process for faculty and doctoral recruiting: distribution of candidate material, planning and coordination of visits, and compliance with recruiting guidelines
• May organize and plan logistics for seminars series, research conferences and other unit events
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents.
• Being responsible for other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years of experience working in an administrative, clerical, executive support, coordination, or related professional capacity is required.
• Education beyond high school may count toward experience.
• Hands-on experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) is a must
• NOTE: As part of the interview process, candidates who reach a certain stage will be asked to complete a hands‑on skills assessment that involves tasks related to the role utilizing the Microsoft Office suite

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• You set a high bar for yourself with attention to detail, confidentiality, and strong customer service
• You work well independently and also contribute as a valuable team member with an attitude focused on helping others
• People describe you as reliable and resourceful - you always follow through and strive to surpass expectations
• You have a willingness to work in a collaborative work environment supporting a variety of faculty, colleagues, and changing assignments based on business needs
• You can adapt quickly to changing staffing assignments, responsibilities, tasks, and feedback
• You are proficient in navigating and using major social media platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok) for basic content creation, audience engagement, and trend analysis

Standard Hours/Schedule

35 hours per week, overtime eligible

Compensation Range

$58,000 - $63,000, commensurate with experience

Visa Sponsorship Information

Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position

Pre-Employment Screening

Identity

Other Information

This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday - Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice.

We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-perso