The Program Assistant position plays an integral role in supporting the administration and operations for the Research, Teaching, and Learning (RTL) portfolio for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) within Harvard Library. This position contributes to and facilitates activities that support student and community engagement, social sciences and humanities research, and programmatic offerings for digital and multimedia scholarship.
Reporting to the Program and Operations Administrator for Research, Teaching, and Learning, this position will actively support the day-to-day operations of RTL library spaces and the work of library staff, ensuring that supplies and services for library users and staff are readily available and accessible.
This position works collaboratively with colleagues within the department, across the library system, and at the university level including faculty, students, and staff. The Program Assistant will be expected to work both independently and as part of a team.
Position Description
The Program Assistant contributes to the overall goals of the RTL portfolio and provides support across four principal areas of responsibility: administrative support, program support, space coordination, exhibition coordination. The Program Assistant may perform other duties as assigned, consistent with the functions of the work unit and level of responsibilities of the role.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities:
Administrative Support
In collaboration with Program and Operations Admin for RTL, contributes to administrative services for RTL portfolio.
Provides administrative support to the RTL portfolio, which includes three departments reporting to the Associate Librarian for Research, Teaching, and Learning Services for FAS. This includes scheduling meetings, providing notetaking, arranging catering, and offering technical support as needed.
Responsible for supplies inventory, supplies maintenance, ordering for RTL staff and building/spaces associated with the RTL portfolio.
Maintains regular communication for RTL departments, including daily informational emails for Services for Academic Programs, research services staff, and building staff.
Assists with web content management, contributing to Harvard Library events calendar, and other university calendars if applicable.
Facilitates mail distribution/deliveries, as needed, within Lamont Library and across RTL units.
Contributes to other general administrative support duties for RTL as assigned.
Program Support
Under the direction of Program and Operations Admin for RTL and in partnership with RTL staff, contributes to ongoing outreach and engagement efforts within the libraries.
Participates in event/engagement planning and execution, including logistical/planning support, with the opportunity to staff events/engagements.
Maintains inventory of supplies associated events/engagements.
Tracks and reports event/engagement data, including expenses, supplies, staffing, and number of attendees.
Space Coordination
Serves as primary contact for RTL managed spaces, disseminating and explaining policies and procedures for space use.
Provides mediated scheduling of RTL spaces, fielding booking requests, facilitating space use arrangements for set-up, ensuring users are compliant with room use policy.
Regularly reviews all physical spaces to ensure that rooms are adequately stocked and operational. Reports and facilitates maintenance needs by liaising with Operations and technical support.
Assesses space use, develops space use reports for RTL leadership review.
Contributes to overall space management/maintenance in RTL spaces/libraries, including public and staff spaces.
Exhibition Coordination
Coordinates exhibition program in Lamont Library, including maintaining planning and exhibition timelines.
Facilitates communication and planning between exhibition curator(s) and exhibition designer(s)/installer(s).
Ensures that the Lamont Library Exhibition Program guidelines for accessibility and content promoting Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Antiracism (EDIBA), and student work, are met throughout the exhibition planning process.
Supports supplies procurement, promotional material, and associated events/engagements for Lamont Library exhibitions.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
None
Basic Qualifications
High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
Three or more years of related office experience, education beyond high school may count toward experience.
Proficiency with MS Office applications.
Additional Qualifications and Skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Must be able to prioritize work in an environment with multiple and conflicting interests.
Must have a positive demeanor and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
Able to work independently with minimal supervision and handle complex, confidential information with discretion.
Experience with project management and logistics.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and antiracism
Working Conditions
The position is based primarily on site at Harvard University, Cambridge campus. There may be the opportunity for a hybrid work model compliant with Harvard University policies.
Work location is responsive and subject to change based on business needs. Requests for flexibility will be considered consistent with Harvard University flexwork policies.
The work associated with this position is performed in a library/office setting.
This position may interact with collections that may contain dust, mold, or other contaminants.
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.
Commitment to Equity Diversity Inclusion and Belonging: Across the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University's mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success.
We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world's most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society.
Harvard Library inspires collaboration, reflection, experimentation, and discovery connecting users to related disciplines and to University-wide teaching resources. The Library engages users through curated discovery, digital collections, reimagined physical space, and specialized research support. Today, Harvard Library's holdings range from traditional print collections to rapidly expanding access to digital resources. Harvard Library provides the University's faculty, students, and researchers-now and in the future-with exceptional experiences and comprehensive access to these materials.
The Harvard Library is a proud member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance.
EOE 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.
