Department Coordinator

Posting date:
January 27, 2026

002040SR

1. Job Type
Full-time
2. Location
Petersham
3. School/Unit
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
4. Salary Grade
054
5. Job Function
General Administration
6. FLSA Status
Non-exempt
7. Term Appointment
No
8. Union
55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers

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 the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences?

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872), Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Department Coordinator for Events and Property Operations plays a vital role in coordinating Harvard Forest’s external conference center activities, internal events and community-building, and property management for fourteen residential and administrative buildings. This role serves as the first point of contact for visitors to the Forest and is the “face” of Harvard Forest to a wide variety of constituents, including staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, international scholars, research collaborators, vendors, and the general public. This role encompasses a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities, and success in the role depends on prioritizing and triaging ever-changing and ever-evolving requests. Flexibility, customer service orientation, a sense of humor, and impeccable organization are essential. This position reports to the Director of Administration and Finance and plays a key role in communicating and sharing information across teams at the Forest, and meets regularly with members of the facilities, administration, education/outreach, and science teams.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Front Desk Reception Duties

• Serve as the first point of contact for all visitors, providing a warm, professional, and welcoming presence
• Triage and respond to inquiries from visitors, guest or internal community
• Answer and route incoming phone calls and respond promptly to general inquiries
• Manages phone system including training, voicemail and staff changes
• Maintains an up-to-date department-wide email list
• Manage all mailroom operations, including receiving and signing for packages, sorting and distributing incoming mail, coordinating with delivery carriers as needed, and promptly notifying community members of arrived items
• Order, track, and maintain inventory of office supplies
• Provides general office support as needed as part of the admin team
• Support special projects as assigned, which may include creating mail merges and communication strategies, researching transportation options for community travel between Cambridge and Petersham, benchmarking governance structures at peer field stations, and other projects as assigned
• Sell books and merchandise related to on-site museum
• Other related front desk duties as needed

Conference Center Activities

• Responds to all incoming inquiries for space reservation and housing requests
• Maintains and approves online reservation requests and oversees usage of conference/seminar/museum space in close coordination with the Education and Outreach team; assists with booking space when needed
• Organizes overnight accommodations for visitors (i.e. coordinates Housekeeping, prepares room keys, necessary forms & information)
• Coordinates catering, logistics and sometimes travel for all campus conferences and workshops
• Provides on-site troubleshooting services during events
• Prepares invoices for all billable services related to the conference center as well as manages the tracking and collections of past due invoices
• Ensures conference center dining and meeting spaces are appropriately stocked for events

Internal Events and Community Building

• Coordinates Harvard College First Year Seminar course logistics with Senior Research Staff (transportation, lodging and food supplies/catering options).
• Provides general support as needed to roughly 25 students and summer residential advisor which may include arranging air travel and transportation
• Organizes multiple annual community-building events (Giving Thanks luncheon; Volunteer Dinner; Curling outing; retirement/departure parties, etc.)
• Manages all aspects of event planning and coordination for Harvard Forest-sponsored conferences, programming and symposia (Eg. Annual Bullard Lecture, Winter Internship programming, Annual Ecology Symposium, Quarterly All-Staff meetings, etc)
• Provides regular information to community members on local events to increase community engagement and to provide resources for international and residential scholars, staff, students, and visitors staying at the Forest

Property Management

• Assigns space for offices, short and long-term housing, and conferences
• Responsible for key management including distributing, tracking and ordering new keys for offices, gates, towers, and housing
• Maintains reservation database, which includes housing assignments, tenant relations, and lease agreements
• Orders linens, disposable items and cleaning supplies as requested by housekeeping contractor and custodian.
• Identifies priorities for housing upgrades and communicates those to the Land and Facilities Manager (including painting, furniture replacement, and routine maintenance, etc.). This involves aesthetic considerations as well as practical use

Working Conditions:

Work is typically performed on-site in Petersham, MA. Occasional remote work may be possible after the 90 day Orientation and Review period is over, but this position is primarily an on-site, in-office position.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent and three or more years of related experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (including Sharepoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Experience coordinating events and logistics for large-scale events
• Experience serving in a greeting/reception role
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a customer service orientation
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and shift smoothly between tasks
• Must be flexible, enthusiastic, and open to and energized by change
• Experience prioritizing and accomplishing tasks with minimal supervision, and creatively and independently solving problems that arise
• Collaborative style, combined with the ability and desire to work in a team-based environment
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties
• Comfort with learning new software and web-based applications
• Experience with purchasing and invoicing
• Experience in a deadline-driven environment
• Interest in the research and educational mission of Harvard Forest

Additional Information

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 with a one-hour unpaid lunch break. Event support sometimes requires work outside of these hours during the week and/or occasional weekend work.
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Motor Vehicle Record
• Other Information:All formal written offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that all duties and responsibilities must be performed at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location. Certain visa types may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 054. 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.