Associate Director of Early Design Education and Design Curriculum Lead

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), as the preeminent design school in the world, offers a unique setting for interaction and the exchange of ideas through the combination of disciplines—architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning and design—together with an emerging research program and a robust public program of lectures and exhibitions. It is a dynamic, intellectually creative environment. We are seeking an energetic, forward thinking and experienced individual to lead the Early Design Education programs at the GSD and in collaboration with University partners.

The Associate Director is responsible for the GSD Design Discovery Programs, the Design Discovery Youth program, and the coordination of courses within the Harvard Undergraduate Architecture Studies track. This includes developing and implementing a future-focused approach to integrate with the GSD’s core programs and in line with the school’s goals for their constituencies, growth, and direction. The studio-based Design Discovery program, which enrolls up to 300 students across virtual and in-person modalities, serves as a primary introduction to the design professions.

• Advise students who are interested in or have declared the Architecture Studies concentration, providing guidance on course selection, concentration requirements, and other aspects of curricular planning.
• Oversee independent research courses and thesis evaluations.
• Assess and recommend undergraduate curricular revisions and improvements to the student experience to the departmental faculty and participate in implementing such changes.
• Interviews, selects, and oversees program’s Teaching Fellows from current GSD students who serve as section instructional fellows.
• Coordinate with the Program Coordinators (FAS and GSD).
• Coordinate efforts with the Advising Programs Office in Harvard College and the Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

• Responsible for overseeing the pedagogy of a summer exploratory program geared towards those who are interested in design, specifically architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and urban design in both virtual and in-person formats.
• Interviews, selects, and oversees programs’ teaching teams of current GSD students and recent graduates who serve as program-wide assistants and studio section instructors.
• Interviews, selects, and oversees GSD faculty who cultivate the program’s curriculum as well as serve as section leaders and mentors to studio section instructors.
• Serves as the program advisor and primary decision-maker for concerns related to student progress, conflicts, and teaching challenges.
• Prior to the program, the Director oversees the design and preparation of marketing brochures, marketing strategies and outreach. Attends recruiting events.
• Provides guidance on the selection of student instructors for the three design disciplines.
• Assists with the application process, reviewing the more complex student applications as needed.

• Responsible for working with the Executive Director and other program leadership on the development of specific adjustments to existing design curriculum and the generation of new design curriculum to build a library of design…