Operations Manager, Program Delivery

Operations Manager

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.

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University is a collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to equip mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents.

Launched in 2017, the Initiative advances research and develops new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems. By engaging Harvard graduate students in research and field work, the Initiative supports current city leaders while investing in future generations. The Initiative also advances the field of city leadership through teaching, research, and new curricular materials that help city leaders drive government performance and address pressing social problems.

Job Summary

The Operations Manager will be responsible for the core program functions, systems and processes that keep each City Leadership Initiative program running smoothly. The Operations Manager will lead the improvement and documentation of standard operating procedures that undergird program delivery. This includes booking classrooms, study group and meal spaces, managing contracts and vendor relationships (hotels, transportation, catering), and ensuring program supplies are ordered and organized. The Operations Manager will also oversee participant-facing systems such as application and logistics portals, tracking and documenting faculty teaching session compensation, serving as the team's Salesforce power user to keep data accurate and processes efficient. In addition, they will maintain documentation, support new staff training, manage the program calendar, and ensure programs are successfully closed out with all operational details completed. The successful candidate should have strong project management skills, cross-team collaboration, and a focus on building reliable, scalable systems. This role combines analytical thinking with practical, hands-on execution to ensure programs run efficiently and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Continuous Improvement & Develop Operational Strategy

• Analyze end-to-end program operations to identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and opportunities for automation or process optimization.
• Develop strategy and design and implement operational frameworks and documentation that promote consistency, scalability, and knowledge transfer across programs and staff.
• Lead development of SOPs and document lessons learned and contribute to ongoing improvements in systems and processes.
• Develop and implement best practices for project management, resource allocation, productivity, data sharing, and program execution.
• Develop metrics, workflows and dashboards to track operational performance, measure process efficiency, and inform data-driven decision-making.
• Work across teams (program delivery, curriculum, city support, and Executive Education) to align processes and surface opportunities for improvement.
• Lead strategy to foster a culture of operational excellence by facilitating feedback loops, encouraging innovation in process design, and promoting best practices across teams and initiatives.
• Develop process to share process improvements and best practices across the broader Executive Education and Bloomberg Harvard communities.

Program Logistics, Vendor Management & Communication

Systems & Participant Platforms

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications :

Bachelor's degree and 7 years of progressively responsible experience in organizational development, operations / project management, program delivery or related field.

Additional Qualifications and Skills :

Additional Information

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.

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

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 :