"Director, Office of Belonging, Community, and Connection"

Job Description

The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) seeks a visionary, collaborative, and innovative Director of the Office of Belonging, Community, and Connection. The successful candidate will be a strong communicator and persuader, skilled at engaging a wide range of stakeholders. They will possess strategic vision, adaptability, and independent problem-solving abilities, and demonstrate a commitment to mission-driven work. This leadership role will guide the development, implementation, and assessment of programs and initiatives to enhance belonging and full participation for all, cultivate a shared sense of community, and enrich connection across the school’s students, faculty, and staff. The HKS Office of Belonging, Community, and Connection (OBCC) serves as a school-wide resource, working closely with school leadership, core departments, and research centers to:

• Promote belonging by ensuring that every member of the HKS community has access to-and can participate fully in-everything Harvard has to offer;
• Foster a pluralistic and inclusive community rooted in shared values;
• Facilitate meaningful and productive engagement across difference, both for those on campus and by forging connections to people and communities who are not well represented in our community.

The Director will champion efforts to build relevant skills and facilitate candid and constructive conversations that enable people to communicate with openness, honesty, and understanding across different backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives. Reporting into the Office of the Dean, the Director will play a key role in cultivating a supportive, vibrant, and welcoming environment for all members of the HKS community.

The Director will supervise a team of two and in addition, will offer leadership and guidance to teams and other staff to achieve project outcomes without having direct supervisory responsibility. Key Responsibilities will include:

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

• Develop and implement a strategic vision and operational plan for belonging, community, and connection.
• Serve as a resource to students, faculty, and staff, and partner with departments, research centers, and student organizations on programs and initiatives.
• Advise leadership on trends and practices related to campus life, dialogue, and community engagement.
• Work closely with university and school leadership and coordinate relevant activities across the institution.
• Contribute thought leadership to university-wide initiatives and collaborate with stakeholders across the university to co-create programming that supports full participation and cultivates shared spaces and experiences.

Promoting Belonging

• Develop or promote initiatives that actively foster belonging and connection among all community members-including students, staff, and faculty.
• Provide collaboration and support to appropriate lead departments in advancing recruitment initiatives designed to attract and retain students, faculty, and staff.
• Provide substantial input into the design and execution of orientation (for students) and onboarding (for faculty and staff) activities, ensuring a strong introduction to the university community.
• Serve as a resource for individual community members and student groups seeking to enhance belonging and full participation of all.
• Provide support, leadership, and collaboration for community-led efforts to promote full participation of all
• Lead regular assessments of belonging to identify concerns and make recommendations for improvement.
• Support educational efforts of processes related to NDAB, Title IX and Title VI and partner with leaders and coordinators on related education initiatives.

Fostering Community

• Articulate, foster, and promote shared community values, including openness and pluralism.
• Working with faculty and staff, drive co-curricular programming to model and reinforce community values across the entire academic year.
• Partner with student groups, student government, and other stakeholders in advancing a shared sense of community.
• Lead a faculty/staff/student committee that envisions and executes community-building activities across the school.

Facilitating Connection

• Support the Candid and Constructive Conversations (CCC) Initiative, delivering regular programming and education that fosters engagement across difference.
• Work with the school and research centers to foster external collaborations that expand the range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives informing teaching, research, and public engagement.
• Build skills and facilitate opportunities for meaningful and productive engagement on- and off-campus.
• Coordinate with the HKS leadership team, university-level leadership, and related activities at other schools to further connection and collaborative initiatives.

Program Development & Oversight

• Oversee, design, and assess programs, trainings, and events that build skills to promote candid, meaningful, and productive engagement across difference, working with faculty where appropriate.
• Facilitate and support conversations that encourage openness, honesty, and understanding among people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Lead and supervise staff within the Office of Belonging, Community, and Connection, fostering a culture of teamwork, accountability, and innovation.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• At least 10 years of increasingly leadership-level experience in higher education, mission-driven organizations or related settings, including leadership in community building roles, student affairs, or campus and community engagement.
• Experience leading and managing staff.
• Experience in assessing organizational climate and developing and implementing programs related to belonging and community.

Additional Qualifications

While the following skills are preferred, we welcome applicants with a range of experiences and backgrounds.

• Commitment to and expertise in fostering a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion.
• Extensive experience working with diverse student populations, including graduate/professional students.
• Strong understanding of political and organizational dynamics in higher education or other complex organizations.
• Experience collaborating with a range of stakeholders (example: students, faculty, staff, alumni, external communities).
• In-depth knowledge of the interplay among academic freedom, open debate, and inclusivity, including viewpoint diversity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence without direct authority in decentralized environments.
• Skilled in mediation, conflict resolution, and facilitating candid, constructive conversations.
• Familiarity with relevant regulations and policies (e.g., Title IX, Title VI).
• Proven success launching and managing projects, partnerships, and inclusion initiatives.
• Experience with data analysis, program assessment, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Training in restorative practices, intergroup dialogue, or conflict mediation is preferred.