Chief Research Enablement Officer (CREO

Chief Research Enablement Officer (CREO)

The John

F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one of 12 graduate and professional schools at the university. Harvard Kennedy School's mission is to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match.

When you work at Harvard Kennedy School, you make a difference.

The Chief Research Enablement Officer (CREO) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the full research enterprise at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).

Reporting to the Executive Dean, the CREO oversees the core services and functions that support research enablement for HKS faculty, students, and fellows. These core functions include research administration (sponsored awards and compliance), research computing and data services, and library collections, services and programs. Reporting to the CREO are the Executive Director of Research Administration, the Director of Research Computing and Data Services, the Director of HKS Library Services, the Manager of Community Engagement & Special Projects, and the Senior Administrative Coordinator.

The position is responsible for aligning these units into a cohesive ecosystem that supports the entire research lifecycle, from discovery and data acquisition to analysis, dissemination, and long-term stewardship. This role, along with its direct reports, supports the teaching, learning, and research mission of the School through collaboration with key areas of the Academic Deans' Office (ADO).

The CREO and their direct reports provide strategic leadership for HKS' research enterprise and help shape School and University policies and services for research enablement, including library collections, digital scholarship, open science initiatives, data governance, secure computing environments, externally sponsored funding, and research compliance. Together, they ensure that HKS maintains a robust research infrastructure, strong internal controls, and a culture of accountability that supports, rather than impedes, research innovation.

As a senior leader, the CREO partners closely with faculty, center directors, and University-wide offices to identify emerging research needs, scale infrastructure, and position the School competitively for large, complex, and interdisciplinary funding opportunities. The role also represents the School in external forums related to research policy, compliance, and infrastructure, particularly in areas such as data security, privacy, and the responsible use of AI in research.

The CREO also supports their direct reports in partnering with faculty, research teams, center directors, core departments, and with related University units (i.e., Harvard Library, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Harvard University Information Technology, Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of the General Counsel).

The ideal candidate brings deep experience driving institutional strategy in complex organizations operating under policy and/or regulatory requirements. They also bring a demonstrated ability to integrate diverse operational units into a unified, service-oriented research enterprise. The successful candidate will be a strategic and collaborative leader with the ability to lead organizational transformation, build high-performing teams, and advance research excellence while ensuring effective stewardship of institutional resources and regulatory obligations.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership & Integration:
  In partnership with unit leaders, provide executive leadership for HKS research and library services, developing and executing strategic plans that align data and research efforts between the School and University across interdisciplinary and integrated teams. Lead efforts that streamline and strengthen the research ecosystem, further enabling our faculty and their research teams to conduct research. Champion an integrated research enterprise in which faculty, research teams, and research enablement functions work as trusted partners to understand research objectives, proactively address challenges, and develop practical, compliant solutions that support the School's research mission.
  
  Serve as a strategic leader and principal advisor to the Executive Dean, Academic Deans, and HKS leadership on data and research computing strategy, analytics, research integrity and compliance, and research priorities.
• Innovation & Organizational Design:
  Integrate, build, and strengthen services to support current and future public policy and social science research, teaching, and learning needs. This includes leading efforts to streamline research compliance and research resource access to ensure timely reviews and approvals, allowing researchers to…