Associate Director, Secondary School Program, Harvard Summer School

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.

Why join the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences?

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872), Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

Job Description

Job Summary:

Lead wide range of Student Services task including training and strategic planning and identifies and designs new programming for student organizations.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Under the Executive Director of High School Programs, the Associate Director of the Secondary School Program (SSP) provides strategic & operational leadership for Harvard Summer School’s (HSS) high school programs, overseeing all of the admissions process and SSP student experience, fostering an engaging environment for developmental and academic needs.

Admissions & Enrollment Management

• Lead admissions process for SSP & Pre-College Program, including application review, decision release, and waitlist management.
• Coordinate with Administrative IT on Salesforce configuration, annual application testing, and system updates; ensure data integrity, workflow efficiency, and accurate admissions reporting.
• Train staff in Salesforce application review and related admissions systems. Ensure compliance with Office of the General Counsel, University policies, and standards for equitable, consistent, and legally compliant review.
• Train residential staff in Salesforce for on-call responsibilities, documentation, and student email communication.
• Coordinate applicant communication schedules and collaborate with Marketing and Office of Enrollment Management (OEM) on recruitment events, outreach, and webinars.
• Build & maintain Salesforce reports, list views, and dashboards to analyze application volume, yield, and enrollment trends.
• Ensure effective student communication and onboarding.
• Collaborate with HSS Academic Affairs, Registrar’s Office, Student Financial Services, and OEM to ensure smooth transitions from admission through course registration and program participation.

Residential & Student Support Leadership

• Oversee all SSP student experiences.
• Chair the SSP Residential Committee, managing conduct cases and ensuring consistent policy implementation.
• Serve on the Harvard Summer School Administrative Board Subcommittee to adjudicate urgent student conduct matters.
• Share summer on-call duties for emergency/non-emergency student issues.
• Partner with Office of Student Engagement & Residential Life (SERL), Harvard University Police, Housing Office, Facilities, University Health Services, and Counseling & Mental Health Services to support student well-being, crisis response, and issues related to minors on campus.
• Lead training & professional development for residential staff, emphasizing community standards and crisis management.
• Collaborate with SERL to align residential operations, staff training, and community-building efforts

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise the High School Programs Associate and seasonal residential staff of 3–5 Application/Enrollment Specialists, 1 Senior Resident Director, 6 Resident Directors, and indirectly around 85 Proctors.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise and evaluate residential staff. Align with University policies and best practices for working with minors.
• Provide strategic guidance, regular check-ins, and workload planning.
• Assign & review work to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and policy compliance.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support staff development.
• Administer corrective action, up to & including termination, in accordance with Harvard policies & procedures.
• Ensure a supportive & compliant work environment and adhere to youth protection requirements.

Program Operations, Assessment, & Collaboration

• Partner with the Executive Director and Associate Director of Pre-College & SERL to align policies, training, and program operations.
• Coordinate summer logistics, including SSP student orientation and residential office setup.
• Oversee staff use of systems for incident tracking, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Lead annual reporting, assessment, and process improvement projects on admissions, enrollment, and student support.
• Collaborate with DCE partners on strategic initiatives, policy development, and data-driven planning.
• Represent High School Programs on DCE committees and contribute to institutional planning.

Working Conditions:

This position will be based in Cambridge, MA. During the Summer Program months (June-August), this position will be required to work on-campus daily, as well as some evenings, and several weekends for check-ins and emergencies. Hybrid workplace models are in place at Harvard Summer School with a minimum of 1 day per week on campus during the fall and spring semesters. DCE or department may adjust these as necessary or appropriate. Furthermore, individual flexible and remote work options for this role will be discussed during the interview process.

Physical Requirements:

Some lifting of boxes (office supplies, check-in materials) and office set up may be required. Due to the on-call nature of this position, ability to navigate stairs and independently traverse campus is required.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required
• Minimum of 7 years’ relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, or related field is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise with admissions and enrollment technologies; Salesforce CRM proficiency
• Proven success hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating large professional or seasonal staff teams.
• Experience with on-call crisis situations involving residential students and minors on campus.
• Strong judgment and discretion in managing confidential student and personnel issues; ability to exercise sound decision-making under pressure.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex programs and multiple concurrent priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships across departments.
• Experience with high school populations in selective academic or residential settings preferred.
• Experience supporting commuter and online learners preferred.
• Familiarity with tools such as Blackthorn and Microsoft Office Suite is desirable.

Additional Information

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Compensation Range/Rate (including Shift Differential if applicable): $90K - $110K/annual
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Criminal/CORI
• Other Information:
  • A cover letter is required for consideration.
  • All formal offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 058. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.