Staff Assistant

Company Description

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.

Harvard Public Affairs and Communications (HPAC) manages and facilitates the University’s relationships with the general public, media outlets, federal, state, and local governments, and our neighboring communities. HPAC advances information and communications related to the University’s mission of excellence in teaching, learning, and research.

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Staff Assistant, Public Affairs provides administrative and project support for the leadership of Harvard Public Affairs and Communications’ (HPAC) Public Affairs team. This team is responsible for external relations covering state and local government and community relations as well as community programs. The Staff Assistant is responsible for ensuring smooth operations of the department through the coordination of complex calendars and travel arrangements for leaders on the Public Affairs team. Daily responsibilities include quickly and efficiently supporting scheduling requests, supporting the execution of both small- and large-scale events in Cambridge and Boston, helping to triage requests and correspondence arriving via phone, mail and through shared email inboxes, and managing contacts and mailing lists in a database of stakeholders. Showing significant independent judgment in identifying and resolving potential scheduling conflicts, the Staff Assistant will liaise with a variety of both internal and external constituents (including university leaders and their administrative support teams, as well as faculty, staff, community-based organizations, etc.) and support special projects as assigned. In public and community-facing events and settings, the Staff Assistant will be expected to represent the university with warmth, discretion, and responsiveness. 

The Staff Assistant will also serve as a member of the broader HPAC administrative team. While working closely with the public affairs team, the Staff Assistant, Public Affairs reports to the Director of Administration, HPAC and will also collaborate to provide administrative and project support for efforts and key initiatives across all of HPAC.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Makes appointments and manages calendars and travel arrangements, arranges, and attends meetings, schedules rooms and equipment
• Assists with virtual and in-person events and meetings; manages Zoom platform and hosts virtual events; assists with logistics for in-person events such as securing rooms, arranging for food and AV, event set-up, and cleanup