Senior Director, City Talent & Public Service Pathways

Harvard University FAS Human Resources; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous time off

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Harvard University’s Bloomberg Center for Cities is seeking a Senior Director to build and strengthen Harvard’s pipeline into city government from campuses to city halls in partnership with mayors and city leaders. This role translates city priorities into student-ready opportunities and advances programs that place Harvard students in public service roles.

As a strategic, entrepreneurial thinker, you will lead a diverse team, foster cross-school collaborations, and drive measurable outcomes

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least 8 years in program leadership, student engagement, public service, or related fields.
• Experience working in or closely with city government preferred.
• Strong people management skills with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive the Center’s strategy for connecting students to cities and careers in city government.
• Serve as a thought partner to Center and Initiative leadership on talent, fellowships, and the future of the local government workforce.
• Increase the number of Harvard students who go on to serve in city government.
• Work directly with mayors, city managers, and senior city leaders to understand city priorities, talent needs, and opportunities for student and early-career engagement.
• Translate city needs into well-defined, student-ready projects, internships, fellowships, and roles that are meaningful for cities and appropriate for students and fellows.
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships that position the Center as a reliable partner to cities.
• Shape and maintain strong working relationships across Harvard schools, centers, career offices, faculty, student groups, and administrative units to expand student access to city-focused opportunities.
• Build sustained student engagement across Harvard through events, co-curricular programming, student groups, study groups, and other strategies that expose students to city government and careers in city service.
• Partner with faculty to advance student involvement in field courses, thesis projects, and research that support city hall priorities.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship and the Center’s summer fellowship programs.

Skills

People management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree + 8+ yrs

Job description

Harvard University’s Bloomberg Center for Cities is seeking a Senior Director to build and strengthen Harvard’s pipeline into city government from campuses to city halls in partnership with mayors and city leaders. This role translates city priorities into student-ready opportunities and advances programs that place Harvard students in public service roles.

As a strategic, entrepreneurial thinker, you will lead a diverse team, foster cross-school collaborations, and drive measurable outcomes