Special Assistant To The Faculty Director

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (HCDC/the Center) is a community of 30+ people committed to making the world a better place for children, particularly those who face adversity early in life. Our vision is an equitable world where all kids can achieve their full potential. We do this by leveraging science and the real-world experience of practitioners, policymakers, pediatricians, and families to build the knowledge, skills, and tools required to create more effective and equitable early childhood policies and programs. To learn more about the Center, click here. To learn more about our pledge to address injustice, racism, and inequality, click here.

In 2022, Founding Center Director Dr. Jack Shonkoff published a call to action titled Re-Envisioning Early Childhood Policy and Practice in a World of Striking Inequality and Uncertainty. Drawing on multiple sources of knowledge, he introduced “ECD 2.0” to the world, building on the field’s focus on early brain development in an environment of relationships and underscoring the need to connect the brain to the rest of the body in a broader ecosystem. After a year of presenting this content to a variety of audiences, the framework has shown potential to be a powerful catalyst for shifting mindsets both within the traditional early childhood sector as well as in adjacent policy spaces. We are seeking a colleague to join the Center as a critical member of the team working closely with Dr. Shonkoff as he continues to engage public leaders and on-the-ground change agents to take science-informed action.

The Special Assistant to the Faculty Director will report directly to Dr. Shonkoff and will support him and a host of external stakeholders to develop strategies to make the science of ECD actionable in their contexts. The position will play point on a variety of high-visibility relationships by staffing calls and meetings (including preparation and follow up); backstopping and accompanying Dr. Shonkoff on visits; and handling triage and follow through as appropriate. This position will also work closely with other Center teams, including the Communications Team; the Knowledge Application Team; the Partnerships and Audience Team; the Measurement Development Team; the Measurement & Evaluation Team; and the Finance, Equity, and Administration Team.

Under the leadership of Dr. Shonkoff, this position will inform, develop, and support the implementation of a range of engagements related to Dr. Shonkoff’s work around dissemination and uptake of ECD 2.0 in the public sphere.

• Conduct research and landscape analyses on people, organizations, trends, and opportunities for Dr. Shonkoff to strategically expand his impact in the field.
• Draft talking points for Dr. Shonkoff, create briefs on research and landscape analyses, and develop planning documents for emerging collaborations.
• Identify and build relationships with key external stakeholders, representing Dr. Shonkoff’s interests and exercising appropriate judgement. Serve as primary relationship manager if one doesn’t already exist at the Center; coordinate if one does.
• Liaise with the Center’s Comms. Team in support of Dr. Shonkoff’s external engagements: as key bridge, keeping them in the loop and knowing when to bring them in directly; sharing insights from Dr. Shonkoff’s partner engagements and visits to inform the ongoing design of communication products and messaging for target audiences. As an extension of the Comms. Team, working closely with the team to ensure alignment between Dr. Shonkoff’s activities and the Center-wide communications strategies and priorities, based in deep understanding of Comms.’ tools, resources, standards, etc.
• Liaise with the Center’s Measurement Dev. team to identify and coordinate possible synergies, including potential partnerships with community-level initiatives that are committed to strengthening the prenatal and early childhood impacts of their work.
• Contribute to strategic thinking to identify objectives and develop plans to achieve specific goals for Dr. Shonkoff’s engagements with external stakeholders, taking high-level conversations about ideas and vision and developing concrete, actionable next steps for possible collaboration.
• Liaise with the Center’s Knowledge Application Team and Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning Team to design, collect, and assess post-engagement feedback to understand impact, track progress on benchmarks, and shape future engagements based on findings.
• Provide project management to support Dr. Shonkoff’s engagements with external partners by developing meeting agendas, identifying participants, preparing background materials, facilitating meetings, taking notes, documenting takeaways/next steps, developing and executing on follow up plans, etc.
• Communicate with internal and external audiences through a variety of mediums, including presentations and written materials.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences in the context of our own HCDC community and with external partners and stakeholders. Create and support environments for collaboration that cultivate inclusion and effective intercultural engagement along with authenticity and personal humility.
• Supervise staff supporting Dr. Shonkoff. Hire and oversee interns, research assistants, etc.
• Contribute to fundraising and the management of grant(s) supporting this work – including writing proposals and progress reports, tracking deliverables, and liaising with Finance Team on motoring budget, expense reports, etc.
• Staff Dr. Shonkoff on external trips: coordinate with host and plan agenda, advise him on presentations, work with partners (event organizers, community and public leaders, etc.) to develop wrap-around activities, accompany him on visit and manage the flow of tasks and activities, lead on post-visit evaluation, manage connections to other parts of the Center, etc.
• Participate in a learning community around partnerships, relationship management, and audiences, and contribute to improving processes to systematize and improve the efficiency of our internal work that crosses Center units and teams.

A bachelor’s degree and 5+ years’ experience working in a relevant area, including (but not limited to) positions based in government, independent think tanks, and not-for-profit organizations focused on early childhood and equity.

This is a two-year term position from the date of hire with a high possibility of renewal.

Any candidate wishing to be considered must supply a cover letter in addition to their resume showing that they meet the required basic qualifications.

We are interested in candidates who bring any combination of the following attributes:

• Prior experience supporting a senior leader in a special assistant role
• Knowledge and demonstration of strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging principles, and experience bringing an anti-racist/anti-bias, social justice lens to work
• Discretion and judgement, including experience handling sensitive /confidential information
• Ability to take initiative, work independently and proactively with minimal direction
• Experience with state-level policy, community-based organizations, neighborhood-level advocacy or systems change a plus
• Flexibility and ability to pivot as projects evolve
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Knowledge of early childhood development science, policy, or practice a plus
• Quick learner who can excel in a fast-paced work environment
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to prioritize
• Prior experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects and relationships with diverse stakeholders
• A master’s degree in a related field a plus

HGSE is currently developing dynamic workplace models which will actively support a combination of on-campus and remote work (within a state in which Harvard is registered to do business) where business and operational needs allow. You and your manager will discuss the best schedule based on your role and operational need. If your role allows for remote work, please note that all remote work must be performed within a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA (Only Exempt), CT, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA, VT, and WA). Please also note that Harvard will withhold each applicable state’s required tax and other withholdings from your paycheck for the time you work there.

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

We regret that the Harvard Graduate School of Education does not provide Visa sponsorship

HGSE is a diverse community of learners, teachers, and employees who are passionate about changing the world through education and striving for maximum impact in the field of education.

HGSE Human Resources values diversity in all forms and believes that each employee brings a set of diverse experiences and identities to the workplace that makes us stronger, encourages innovation, and enhances our collective contributions. We continue to develop and support a workforce that reflects the diversity of those we serve; fosters an environment that allows everyone to belong and to bring their best self to work; and creates the conditions that empower employees to contribute their full potential to advancing the work of the school.

We do this by:

• Fostering an inclusive, respectful, and professional work environment
• Reviewing and ensuring fairness and equity in HR practices and policies including but not limited to hiring, promotion, and compensation
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• Providing employees opportunities to learn, grow, and be challenged
• Developing strong relationships and partnerships internal and external to our community to advance diversity and inclusion
• Hiring and retaining staff reflecting the diversity of those we serve

About the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Many choose to work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education because they believe in our mission and are excited by our vision for the future. We have a reputation as a great place to work, for our excellent leadership, and we are a strong community that values diversity. For more information about HGSE, its programs, research, and faculty, please visit: www.gse.harvard.edu

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.

General Administration

USA - MA - Cambridge

359057 Admin Dept/Program Admin

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Center on the Developing Child

-

Full-time

057

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Education, Identity

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.

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.