International Project Administrator

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.

Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Job Description

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director of International HR and Administration, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Director of International Consulting and Operations, this position works as part of a team with all Global Support Services (GSS) members and in particular supports our separate but affiliated non-profit corporation, Harvard Global Research and Support Services, Inc. (Harvard Global). The individual is responsible for annual planning, coordination, and completion of a portfolio of operational, compliance, and HR activities that support Harvard Global’s international entities and projects. The role owns those key workstreams and related tracking systems (e.g., for board governance, entity compliance, HR events, insurance, audits, and banking arrangements) to ensure that required steps, reviews, and approvals are completed accurately and on time.

Through this work, the position helps identify risks inherent in Harvard Global’s international operations and HR activities, coordinates with internal and external stakeholders to address and mitigate those risks, and serves as a central organizing point for activities with compliance and governance implications across all Harvard Global entities and projects.

The role requires excellent intercultural communication and organizational skills; the ability to build, influence, and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders; strong project and analytical skills; and the judgment to distill and reframe complex international laws and policies into practical, actionable workflows. The individual leads by modeling and reinforcing excellent customer service standards across Harvard Global’s international operations and projects in the US and globally.

Duties & Responsibilities

Operational & Compliance Activity Management

• Plan, coordinate, and track Harvard Global’s key operational and compliance activities, using systems that track compliances and related actions (e.g., Smartsheet and Salesforce), and maintain comprehensive, organized records of activities for all entities.
• In collaboration with senior staff and legal advisors, translate compliance requirements into concrete workflows, checklists, and timelines, and contribute to the development, review, and updating of policies and procedures to ensure organizational practices meet in‑country legal and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor activity and risk across entities and projects, identifying and escalating issues; help leadership prioritize work by summarizing patterns and upcoming deadlines and communicating expectations organization‑wide.
• Stay abreast of current laws, regulations, and best practices affecting Harvard Global entities and, with guidance from legal and subject-matter experts, update processes and activity plans accordingly.
• Coordinate with team members and leadership on the review of potential compliance issues, track investigations and remediation steps, and document and follow up on recommended corrective actions.

Board Governance and Administration

• Project manage the workflow for the Harvard Global US Board of Directors and for shareholders and Boards of Directors across all international entities, including planning calendars, producing Board materials, scheduling, preparing, and distributing formal minutes, and coordinating follow‑up actions.
• Track and coordinate responses to Board inquiries and complete the required filings of meeting materials and minutes in relevant local and international jurisdictions.
• Coordinate appointments, resignations, and elections for Harvard Global US and international Boards; maintain accurate records and timelines.
• Facilitate and track Board resolutions in support of entity operations, banking, and other business actions, ensuring that necessary steps and documentation are completed.

Human Resources

• Provide HR support for international hiring processes, including onboarding and offboarding, by coordinating these activities in partnership with the Director of International HR and local partners.
• Draft employment-related documents, including employment agreements, employment extension letters, settlements, and related correspondence, ensuring alignment with organizational policies and local legal requirements, and track document execution and storage.
• Maintain accurate personnel records in compliance with Harvard Global HR policies and local legal requirements; support systematic tracking and reporting of employment actions.
• Set up employes' profiles and track employment actions and HR transactions in systems such as PeopleSoft, CWS Time Management, Smartsheet, and Salesforce helping to ensure data consistency across systems and activity trackers.
• Act as payroll processing back-up as necessary, supporting monthly payroll operations and vendor coordination, and helping to manage related task lists and timelines.
• Support and prepare employment-related reporting and audits by assembling data and documents, coordinating responses, and tracking completion of action items.
• Research employment trends, laws and regulations, and best practices related to global HR; recommend and help implement improvements to HR processes, documentation, standard operating procedures, and guidelines, with a focus on creating clear, repeatable workflows.

Audits, Vendors, Banking, Insurance, and Systems

• Support and/or lead the planning and coordination of internal and external audits, including timelines, information requests, and deliverables, to ensure adherence to applicable standards and requirements; provide compliance and contract information as needed.
• Collaborate with legal and relevant regulatory agencies, coordinating responses to regulatory inquiries and statutory reporting obligations and ensuring associated tasks are logged and completed.
• Lead and support Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for new vendor relationships; coordinate the RFP process, maintain documentation, and manage vendor relationships to support operational and compliance needs.
• Coordinate the preparation, signing, and closeout of engagement letters and annual financial audits, ensuring that required documents, approvals, and follow‑up items are completed.
• Liaise with finance and external parties to ensure timely submission of required documentation for audits, regulatory filings, and banking; track and complete outstanding items.
• Coordinate banking access applications and bank account set‑ups and changes as required to support entity and project operations, maintaining associated records and timelines.
• Monitor and help improve the systems and workflows used to manage activities across Harvard Global entities (e.g., Smartsheet trackers), focusing on visibility, accuracy, and timely completion.
• Support the review of safety and security procedures across all entities in partnership with GSS' International Safety & Security team by coordinating related action items and documenting outcomes.
• Oversee and track the annual renewal and administration of Harvard Global insurance policies; coordinate required information and respond to questions regarding coverage.
• Support the maintenance of annual updates to the Harvard Global website, ensuring that information remains current, compliant with entity requirements, and consistent with operational practices.

Consulting Support

• Support the implementation and ongoing operations of new and existing Harvard Global entities by coordinating the operational steps and activities required for successful launch and maintenance.
• Develop research strategies to address unique or first-time inquiries from Harvard Schools and departments about international regulations, operational pathways, and country‑specific requirements; identify and evaluate relevant resources and translate findings into practical action plans.
• Solicit input from internal stakeholders such as the Office of the General Counsel, Office of the Controller, Office for Sponsored Programs, Harvard Human Resources, Risk Management and Audit Services, and others, as well as external advisors, to inform recommendations and to define the sequence of actions and responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain international guidelines related to global operations, compliance, and HR, ensuring they are incorporated into standard operating procedures and checklists.
• Conduct due diligence and country-specific risk assessments for international operations to help inform client decisions regarding the administration of projects abroad, and capture resulting tasks and mitigations in tracking tools.
• Respond to questions and provide ongoing coordination and support to Harvard Schools and departments; engage in recurring check-ins with key stakeholders, and ensure next steps are documented and completed.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Familiarity with international operational challenges and solutions.
• 2+ years’ work experience.

Additional Qualifications

• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to establish and meet project and activity goals with limited direction and to manage multiple time-sensitive priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and flexibly with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Must handle confidential and personal information with discretion.
• Experience in international project administration, particularly in international regulatory compliance, audits, and risk management.
• Experience in higher education or an international non-governmental organization and global human resources is preferred.
• Experience managing or coordinating complex operational and compliance workflows, interacting with legal counsel or regulators, and preparing materials for Boards or senior leadership is strongly preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. 
• Familiarity with systems such as Smartsheet, PeopleSoft, CWS, Salesforce, and similar tools is preferred; experience using such tools for activity tracking and reporting is a plus.
• Foreign language proficiency is a plus.

Work Conditions

• This is a hybrid position based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a weekly in-office cadence.
• Remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States. 

Additional Information

Standard Hours/Schedule:

• 40 hours per week
• 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Monday - Friday
• Days Off: Saturday and Sunday

Visa Sponsorship Information: 

• Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position

Pre-Employment Screening:

• Identity, Education, References

Other Information:

About Harvard GSS and Harvard Global

Harvard GSS offers international travel, research, and program support in areas that span safety and security, health, culture, outbound immigration, employment, financial and legal matters, and research center operations. We serve students, faculty, staff, and academics across all Harvard Schools, departments, and centers. Since 2011, GSS has helped the Harvard community minimize risk, manage complexity, and feel confident about their international activities and travel. Join our dedicated, experienced team and help Harvard affiliates pursue extraordinary opportunities and achieve their international research, teaching, and learning goals. Learn more about GSS.

This position supports Harvard Global Research and Support Services, Inc. (Harvard Global), our separate but affiliated legal entity. Harvard Global is the mechanism through which GSS offers international employment and payroll services, research center operations, tax-efficient giving, and grant management in support of Harvard University's international activities. Established in 2012, Harvard Global is a nonprofit, fee-for-service organization. Learn more about Harvard Global.

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Work Format Details

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. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 056. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

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: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.