Research Community Lead

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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 Shorenstein Center seeks a highly organized, thoughtful, and experienced full-time Research Community Lead to provide maternity leave coverage for a senior role overseeing fellows program management and research community engagement.

This fixed-term position will steward the Center’s fellows program during a key period of onboarding, convening, and community-building, while serving as a central connector across fellows, Center leadership, communications, finance, and administrative teams. The role requires excellent judgment, strong relationship management skills, and the ability to independently manage complex operational and programmatic workflows.

The position will begin in mid-July 2026 and continue through February 1, 2027, with flexibility on exact start and end dates. The role is based on the Harvard Kennedy School campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an expectation of working on campus 2–3 days per week.

• Shorenstein Fellows Program Management
• Lead onboarding for incoming fellows, including hosting virtual orientation sessions using established materials
• Manage collection, review, tracking, and dissemination of fellows’ project plans
• Coordinate and attend project planning meetings between fellows and internal stakeholders; capture notes and follow-up actions
• Communicate finalized project timelines, expectations, and next steps to fellows
• Serve as a primary point of contact for fellows throughout the term, coordinating follow-up across Center teams as needed
• Coordinate monthly virtual fellows meetings
• Share timely Center updates, reminders, and relevant communications with fellows
• Coordinate fellow travel stipend logistics in partnership with finance and administrative teams
• Manage year-end fellow offboarding communications and transition planning for incoming cohorts
• Research Community Engagement
• Help foster strong engagement across the Center’s research community
• Support strategic relationship management with fellows and affiliated stakeholders
• Thoughtfully navigate evolving fellow project plans and occasional sensitive or complex situations
• Keep Center leadership informed of important developments affecting fellows and broader community dynamics

• Host the Center’s September Open House among other broader research community events
• Complete planning and execution of the Fall Fellows Convening on-campus
• Coordinate recurring research community meetings and related scheduling
• Support continuity for all-center community programming as assigned

• Participate in recurring coordination meetings across leadership, communications, finance, administration, and institutional partners
• Maintain fellows and affiliate tracking systems with accuracy and consistency
• Ensure strong internal communication and operational continuity across research community initiatives
• Identify and proactively address logistical, communication, or coordination challenges

• 3 or more years of work experience in a related role.
• Demonstrated experience in program management, academic administration, higher education, research community engagement, nonprofit leadership support, or a related field.

• Demonstrated ability to…