Community Manager, Harvard Innovation Labs

17-May-2024

Harvard Business School

65766BR

Job Summary

The Community Manager owns the relationship with our students in the Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab) ecosystem. The role is responsible for cultivating a strong sense of community, engagement, and participation among all Harvard Innovation Labs members and offers support by performing a variety of complex administrative and support duties to enhance the Harvard Innovation Labs programs and resources. This includes building and managing the day-to-day experience of participants using i-lab resources, coordinating communications across different channels, and developing and executing community-related programming. In addition to community-related work, this role coordinates with other teams and initiatives, including alumni, network engagement, marketing, and event-related operations. The role reports to the Director of Programs and Engagement and coordinates with key stakeholders and teams across the Harvard Innovation Labs. 

Please see innovationlabs.harvard.edu for more information about the Harvard Innovation Labs.

Position Description

Student Community & Program Management:

• Responsible for the development and management of the student I-lab community and its 2400+ active members: application cycle promotion, the weekly newsletter, Slack workspace, events planning, and customer service for participants. Ensures that student members are connected, supports collaboration across Harvard Schools, and develops programming and systems to ensure that participants are able to communicate and collaborate with each other.
• Manages inquiry process from prospective student members, develops communications to convert applicants into members, and guides students through the application/membership funnel.
• Fosters a positive and collaborative community through daily engagement with students. Monitors news, happenings, feedback, struggles, and wins. Constantly seeks opportunities to serve students better and streamline administrative operations.
• Leverages and synthesizes data from customer surveys, feedback, focus groups, and other data sources to provide insights, support decision-making, and inform program improvements and strategy.
• Plans, develops, and executes community-related programming such as welcome events, end of term events, sub-community sessions, lunches, dinners, and other programming that brings our community together. In total, supports ~15-20 events throughout the academic year.
• Manages and develops student ecosystem convenings, such as the cross-Harvard student club council. Manages the invitation and selection process. Oversees program development, and plans regular meetings for this group. Ensures that the recommendations and ideas of this group are scoped, developed, and implemented by the wider i-lab team.
• Manages and develops the Student i-lab's Sub Community initiative. Recruits student leaders, identifies key constituent groups, and supports the development programming and events for these groups.
• Manages and supports the launch of net-new programs to the Harvard Innovation Labs. Leads or supports the administration and execution of ad hoc programs/ community engagement opportunities: cross-university innovation mixers, collaborations with Harvard stakeholders (Rock Center, student clubs), external partners (AWS NextGen)
• Manages and oversees the Ingenuity Award Program as part of the President’s Innovation Challenge, including timeline, application process, venture evaluation process, and supporting programming such as pitch practice.

Basic Qualifications

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent is required.
• 5+ years of experience in community engagement, student support, program management, or related experience is required.
• Education beyond high school may count toward experience.
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) experience is a must.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Demonstrated customer service skills
• An individual who is naturally outgoing and has a positive attitude. Someone who can work well with others and build relationships across teams.
• Good with people’s names, stories and connecting people who might like to know each other
• Must possess superior communications with high creativity, energy, integrity, thoughtful judgement
• The position requires a high-level of organization and proactivity, paired with strong problem-solving skills. The role requires you to work independently but have the judgement to know when to ask for help or clarification.
• Ability to work occasional extra hours as well as a flexible schedule, to meet deadlines and oversee and/or attend evening events.
• An individual who can learn various technology systems quickly and thinks carefully about how to best use the tools to get the job done. Someone comfortable learning university software and systems such as Salesforce, MIDAS, PassagePoint, SurveyMonkey Apply.
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced and demanding workplace, with a high standard of excellence and a keen attention to detail.

Marketing, Communication, and Operations for Student Membership Community:

• Develops, executes, and oversees student-facing Member outreach strategy in partnership with the HIL Communications team, including weekly community newsletter, promotional campaigns, participant engagement tracking and RSVPs, and informational drives around opportunities, events, and other resources.
• Develops strategy to effectively communicate opportunities, resources, and applications to students while managing the overall editorial calendar for Student i-lab Member communications. Gathers useful information and resources for students, synthesizes and writes clear outputs that drive information and attendance. Provides efficient day-to-day flow of communications within the student member community.
• Serves as the primary liaison for the student track of the President’s Innovation Challenge (PIC) and Ingenuity Award finalists. Manages direct communications with the student finalist teams to gather promotional materials and share detailed workshops and schedules. Plans Ingenuity Award-specific programming (pitch sessions, orientation, finalist announcement, etc.).
• Tracks engagement in student workshops and events: event registrations, attendance, and student surveys. Develops communication streams across the Harvard i-lab team to ensure visibility and proper steps are taken to engage students and ensure event/session/program success
• Supports the creation and execution of marketing collateral from the student perspective and makes recommendations for content based on student feedback (handouts, guides, videos, decks and presentations)

• Represents Harvard Innovation Labs at internal and external events; leads or moderates founder panels, club meetings, attends ecosystem gathering across Harvard and Boston as a representative of the student i-lab.
• Builds and nurtures close collaborations with teams across the Harvard Innovation Labs, including Advising, Network Engagement, Marketing/Creative, Technology, Operations, and ensures that community initiatives are aligned and coordinated on objectives. Implement repeatable processes that work well for all involved. Supports additional Harvard Innovation Labs projects, operations, and events as needed.

Additional Information

This is a 40-hour/week, overtime-eligible position.

This role is offered as a hybrid (some combination of onsite and remote) where you are required to be onsite at our Boston, MA-based campus 3 days per week. Specific days and schedules will be determined between you and your manager.

We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

Culture of Inclusion: The work and well-being of HBS is profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences. Explore more about HBS work culture here https://www.hbs.edu/employment .

About Us

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. The School offers two full-time MBA and PhD programs, more than 175 Executive Education programs, and certificates and courses through Harvard Business School Online. For more than a century, Harvard Business School faculty have drawn on their research, connection to practice, global expertise, and passion for teaching to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards ) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Job Function

General Administration

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Boston

Job Code

403040 Coordinator II

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Department

Harvard Innovation Labs

Annual Salary Range

$74,000 - 76,500 commensurate with experience

Union

55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers

Pre-Employment Screening

Identity

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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