Department Administrator

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with five years of academic administrative experience required, including supervisory experience and financial management skills.

Additional Information

We regret that we will not be able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

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

Position Description

Specifically, the position is responsible for the following activities:

10% - Departmental Management: Create and administer department systems, practices, policies and procedures that span and satisfy the requirements of FAS.

10% - Divisional Support: Serve as the senior administrative contact for Linguistics for answering inquiries, complaints, and/or resolving problems for faculty, students and staff across Harvard, and serving as the liaison with the Academic and Administrative Dean's offices, GSAS, the Undergraduate Dean's Office, IT and Education Support Services, the International Office, payroll, finance, Human Resources, Physical Resources and others concerning teaching/faculty appointments, finance, and general administrative management.

20% - Financial: Oversee and be fully accountable for all financial operations, including setting and managing budgets, forecasting expenditures, and approving purchases, faculty and student reimbursements, and honoraria. Also responsible for approving payroll and resolving discrepancies, managing faculty accounts, upholding donor terms for endowed funds, and serving as point-of-contact for all financial and operational policies and procedures.

10% - Faculty Affairs: Oversees all procedures related to faculty searches, promotions, and coordination of faculty and teaching appointments.

10% - Human Resources: Responsible for the strategic recruitment, hiring, training, performance management and professional development of 1 coordinator, 1 staff assistant, student workers and other employees from time to time.

20% - Student Program: In partnership with graduate student coordinator, counsel/advise students/staff/others on matters related to program requirements, curriculum, theses and degree recommendations.

Maintain course catalog and offerings. Field/handle front line inquiries from current students regarding concentration needs, monitor student progress and advise students on program requirements, and work with student coordinators to address individual student issues.

10% - Events Planning: Plans, coordinates the logistics for, and oversees all conferences and other special events organized on behalf of the faculty.

10% - Senior Advisor to Chair: Counsel/advise the Chair and departmental leadership on policies and procedures related to teaching faculty on academic and administrative policies.

Coordinate faculty searches and tenure reviews. In consultation with chair, prepare department meeting agenda, and prepare reports, interpret, analyze and present data and recommendations for the Chair. Attend, write minutes, and executive follow ups from department meetings; lead miscellaneous tasks, such as responding to surveys and provide data and support for the chair and other faculty members as needed.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Chair of the Linguistics Department, with a dotted line to the Administrative Dean for the Arts & Humanities, the Department Administrator serves as the administrative, human resources, sponsored research, and financial director for a complex and expanding department and evolving sponsored research program, as well as manager of the undergraduate and graduate program for significant student activities.