Fieldwork Operations Lead for Research Programs

Conditions. Workplace Diversity, LLC.; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision health保险

Tuition assistance and reimbursement

Job summary

Harvard University seeks an Assistant Director of International and Field Research to provide expert operational support for complex domestic and international fieldwork, including high-risk and remote settings. The role partners with the Director to implement divisional fieldwork strategies and ensure safe, compliant research activities across units.

You will advise on regulatory requirements, training needs, and process improvements, coordinating with faculty, researchers, and administrators

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in research administration, operations, program management, international research support, fieldwork coordination, or a related area.
• Strong understanding of research operations, fieldwork logistics, international research complexities, and institutional compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to advise stakeholders, coordinate complex operational activities, and resolve non-routine fieldwork issues across multiple units or divisions.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, problem-solving skills, and ability to make sound recommendations in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
• Ability to advise faculty, researchers, staff, and leadership on sensitive or complex operational matters.
• Strong communication, negotiation, collaboration, and relationship-building skills across all levels of an organization.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational guidance for complex fieldwork across Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, including projects in high-risk, remote, and limited-communication environments; supports researchers in navigating institutional processes and fieldwork requirements before, during, and after travel or deployment
• Advise and assist students, faculty and other researchers, as well as departmental research administrators with coordination of compliant transportation of research materials, including deployment of scientific equipment abroad or in the field, shipping of biological samples, chemicals, or other hazardous materials to/from domestic and international laboratories and field sites
• Advise and support students, researchers, and department research administrators in planning or setting up efficient mechanisms to fund and pay for fieldwork activities or other related fieldwork operations
• Develop practical solutions to fieldwork challenges under time-sensitive or ambiguous conditions, balancing researcher needs, operational realities, and institutional requirements
• Advise on responses to fieldwork operations adverse incidents and participate in post-incident reviews to identify lessons learned and recommend changes to practices, tools, or training, in coordination with relevant divisional leadership and departmental partners
• Serve as a divisional resource for Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, on international research and fieldwork operations
• Assist in interpreting institutional policies and regulatory requirements, and translating them into clear, practical guidance for diverse field settings (e.g., remote wilderness, marine, rural, and urban environments)
• Identify recurring questions, training needs, and gaps in fieldwork practices; and contribute to developing guidance, tools, and resources to support consistent fieldwork practices and strengthen divisional capacity for supporting complex research operations
• Interpret and apply University, School, state, federal, sponsor, and international requirements related to research operations and fieldwork activities; help research teams identify applicable regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., permits, research approvals, data protections) and incorporate them into fieldwork and international research plans
• Advise and guide students, faculty and other researchers on matters related to fieldwork or research permits, import/export permits, and other agreements - county-specific/local, USDA, PICs, MATs, MTAs, Nagoya protocols, etc.
• Monitor policy changes affecting research operations and fieldwork; analyze implications, recommend process or practice improvements, and elevate high-risk, sensitive, or precedent-setting issues to appropriate leadership and University offices as needed
• Advise Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, on risk mitigation strategies for field-based research, including researcher safety, emergency communication, travel guidance, local context, and operational continuity
• Coordinate with Science Division units, other academic divisions as needed, and central University and FAS offices involved in research operations, global support, travel, research and academic compliance, procurement-adjacent processes, and sponsored research administration
• Highlight operational barriers, policy implications, and compliance challenges related to conducting research in complex field environments
• Build strong working relationships with faculty, administrators, central offices, vendors, consultants, and external partners, and participate in fieldwork-related meetings, special projects, and operational initiatives as a subject-matter contributor
• Identify operational challenges across Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, and recommend process improvements to strengthen research fieldwork support, improve service delivery, reduce risk, and support faculty research priorities
• Document and communicate operational policies, procedures, guidance, and training for fieldwork-related activities.
• Assist in developing and delivering training, lunch and learn seminars, workshops, and online resources on fieldwork safety and best practices, risk management, and research compliance expectations
• Conduct outreach to academic departments within the science division, and other academic divisions as needed, to raise awareness of available advice and resources for fieldwork and international research

Skills

Fieldwork coordination

International research

Policy interpretation

Communication

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Harvard University seeks an Assistant Director of International and Field Research to provide expert operational support for complex domestic and international fieldwork, including high-risk and remote settings. The role partners with the Director to implement divisional fieldwork strategies and ensure safe, compliant research activities across units.

You will advise on regulatory requirements, training needs, and process improvements, coordinating with faculty, researchers, and administrators