Public Programs Coordinator

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.

The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) educates design, research, and scholarship leaders to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world. The GSD offers degree programs across a range of design disciplines—architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, design engineering, and real estate—as well as advanced research programs that cut across these disciplines and a robust public program of lectures, exhibitions, and publications.

The immense variety of people, programs, and ideas at the School sustains a vibrant and rich environment for learning, inquiry, and collaboration, unlike any other design school. For more information about Harvard GSD see: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Harvard University Graduate School of Design seeks an energetic, unflappable individual to take up the mantle of Public Programs Coordinator in the Department of Communications. The Communications Department handles public programming, publications (Harvard Design Press and Harvard Design Magazine), exhibitions, the GSD’s online presence, and public relations across the school. The Coordinator is a crucial member of the Public Programs team, which produces approximately 50 events per year.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Public Programs, the Public Programs Coordinator provides support in the planning, organization, and assessment of the GSD’s official public programs and acts as the primary on-site staff member for in-person events. Their key duties include event staffing; budget tracking; logistical coordination (incl. travel, catering, setups, audience and speaker inquiries); event-related outreach and social media communications;

event webpage creation and maintenance; committee work; and providing guidance to GSD/Harvard partners about the event planning process, among other tasks. This is a service-oriented role that requires on-site event responsibilities and interaction with invited guests, vendors, and attendees. Quick thinking, adaptability, a confident demeanor, a generous spirit, and rigorous attention to detail are essential in this role.

The ideal candidate will be creative and proactive: identifying opportunities to improve event operations and contribute to the lively community at the GSD through events.

The position is hybrid (in-person and remote). During the academic year, occasional evening and weekend hours are required.

• Acts as primary on-site event staffer, ensuring events begin and end on time and that guests, hosts, and attendees are cared for. Other on-site duties include setting up signage, fielding participant inquiries, and general troubleshooting. Handles live social media posting during events.
• Provides administrative, technical, and logistical support for the public programs series, such as: correspondence with invitees/attendees;preparing itineraries and briefings; securing event spaces; making dinner and catering arrangements; booking travel and hotel accommodations; drafting and/or formatting slide presentations; and producing materials for events (e.g. placards, posters, place cards, etc.).
• Tracks all lecture-related expenses; works with Finance staff to process financial paperwork, payments, and honoraria. Participates in the budget forecasting and budgeting process each year.
• Manages the communications needs of Public Programs, which includes creating, maintaining, reviewing, and updating relevant content for the GSD’s website, e-newsletters, and email marketing. Conducts research to develop new audiences. Drafts and sends weekly event announcements to GSD community.
• Participates in or leads GSD-wide event-related committees. Provides event guidance to student groups, department staff & faculty, Harvard-wide partners, and related parties on the…