Department Coordinator

04-Jan-2024

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

64588BR

Job Summary

The Department Coordinator for Events and Property Operations plays a vital role coordinating Harvard Forest’s external conference center activities, internal events and community-building, and property management for fourteen residential and administrative buildings. This role serves as the first point of contact for visitors to the Forest and is the “face” of Harvard Forest to a wide variety of constituents, including staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, international scholars, research collaborators, vendors, and the general public. This role encompasses a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities, and success in the role depends on prioritizing and triaging ever-changing and ever-evolving requests. Flexibility, customer service orientation, a sense of humor, and impeccable organization are essential. This position reports to the Director of Administration and Facilities and plays a key role communicating and sharing information across teams at the Forest, and meets regularly with members of the facilities, administration, education/outreach, and science teams.

Position Description

Job Responsibilities include:

Conference Center Activities

• Front desk reception duties; serves as the first point of contact for visitors in person and also responds to phone inquiries.
• Responds to all incoming inquiries for space reservation and housing requests
• Maintains and approves online reservation requests and oversees usage of conference/seminar/museum space in close coordination with the Education and Outreach team; assists with booking space when needed.
• Organizes overnight accommodations for visitors (i.e. coordinates Housekeeping, prepares room keys, necessary forms & information)
• Coordinates catering, logistics and sometimes travel for all campus conferences and workshops
• Provides troubleshooting services for events
• Prepares invoices for all billable services related to the conference center
• Ensures conference center dining and meeting spaces are appropriately stocked for events

Internal Events and Community Building

• Coordinates Harvard College Freshman Seminar course logistics with Senior Research Staff (transportation, lodging and food supplies/catering options).
• Arranges air travel as well as airport shuttle or car rental for all incoming summer students (~25 students annually) and provides general support as needed to students and summer residential advisor.
• Organizes multiple annual community-building events (Giving Thanks luncheon; Volunteer Dinner; Curling outing; retirement/departure parties, etc.).
• Manages all aspects of event planning and coordination for Harvard Forest-sponsored conferences and symposia. 
• Provides general office support as needed as part of the admin team.
• Provides regular information to community members on local events to increase community engagement and to provide resources for international and residential scholars, staff, students, and visitors staying at the Forest.

Property Management

• Assigns space for offices, short and long term housing, and conferences
• Maintains reservation database, which includes housing assignments, tenant relations, and lease agreements. 
• Manages phone system including training, voicemail and staff changes.
• Orders linens, disposable items and cleaning supplies as requested by housekeeping contractor. 
• Identifies priorities for housing upgrades and communicating those to the Land and Facilities Manager (including painting, furniture replacement, and routine maintenance, etc.). This involves aesthetic considerations as well as practical use.

Basic Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent and three or more years of related experience.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (including Sharepoint) and Adobe Acrobat.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Experience coordinating events and logistics for large-scale events
• Experience serving in a greeting/reception role
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a customer service orientation
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and shift smoothly between tasks
• Must be flexible, enthusiastic, and open to and energized by change
• Experience prioritizing and accomplishing tasks with minimal supervision, and creatively and independently solving problems that arise
• Collaborative style, combined with the ability and desire to work in a team-based environment
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties
• Comfort with learning new software and web-based applications
• Experience with purchasing and invoicing
• Experience in a deadline-driven environment
• Interest in the research and educational mission of Harvard Forest

Additional Information

Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 with a one-hour unpaid lunch break. Events support sometimes requires work outside of these hours during the week and/or occasional weekend work. Occasional remote work may be possible after the 90 day Orientation and Review period is over, but this position is primarily an on-site, in-office position.

The Harvard Forest Community

Harvard Forest is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. We have a Code of Conduct  that clearly outlines expected conduct for members of our community, unacceptable conduct, and pathways for support for those who experience or witness misconduct. We have initiated an ongoing series of staff-wide trainings and formed a standing committee to build competence in DEIB in our workplace, improved physical and digital accessibility of our campus resources, and re-examined and replaced harmful artwork. We are working toward including Indigenous knowledge and communities in our research and education, land use, and public programs, improving field safety for at-risk populations, and diversifying our team of investigators and educators. The aim of this work is to collectively support and implement our mission: the investigation, understanding, and communication of the ways in which physical, biological, and human systems interact to change our Earth, while ensuring that all participants should feel that they are critical parts of the Harvard Forest community—whatever their identity groups. We welcome, recruit, develop, and advance talented staff, students, and visiting scholars from diverse backgrounds, and strive to ensure that all are included in our mission. Harvard Forest is also committed to supporting the work-life balance of its staff.

We particularly encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences (Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members) and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

Harvard strongly encourages all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

We regret that Harvard University is unable to provide work authorization and/or visa sponsorship for this position.

All formal written offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

Work Format Details

This position is based primarily on-campus, in Massachusetts. Certain visa types may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

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 - Petersham

Job Code

403134 Coordinator I

Union

55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers

Pre-Employment Screening

Criminal, DMV, Education, 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.

LinkedIn Recruiter Tag (for internal use only)

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