Emerging Leaders Program Facilitator

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Why join the Harvard Radcliffe Institute?

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, known colloquially as Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary exploration. We bring together students, scholars, artists, and practitioners to pursue curiosity-driven research, expand human understanding, and grapple with questions that demand insight from across disciplines.

The Fellowship Program annually supports the work of 50 leading artists and scholars. Academic Ventures fosters collaborative research projects and sponsors lectures and conferences that engage scholars with the public. The Schlesinger Library documents the lives of American women of the past and present for the future, furthering the Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society. The Emerging Leaders Program is a youth leadership development program partnering local high school sophomores with Harvard undergraduates in a mentoring relationship.

The Institute’s work is shaped by its history as the former Radcliffe College—a school founded to ensure that the standard of education embodied in Harvard was accessible to women, who were then excluded from the University. But the legacy of Radcliffe College is not simply coeducation at Harvard; it is the recognition that universities will always be greater when they draw wisdom and talent from the widest possible pool.

Take a look at this video to get different staff perspectives on working at Harvard Radcliffe Institute!

Harvard Radcliffe Institute's Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) engages promising high school and college students to learn from those on the forefront of social change, historically and today, as they develop the skills and confidence to become leaders in their own communities.

We partner local high school students with current Harvard undergraduates in a mentoring relationship. Together, mentees and mentors challenge limited conceptions of who can be a leader as they build critical skills to drive positive change. Drawing on Radcliffe’s history—and the vast holdings of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America—the ELP curriculum focuses on the intersection of identity and leadership, examples of social change past and present, and the practical skills necessary for community and civic engagement. ELP empowers those who might not traditionally see themselves as leaders to build the skills and confidence to drive meaningful change in their communities and beyond.  

Reporting to the Director of the Emerging Leaders Program, the ELP Facilitators support the development and delivery of Emerging Leaders Program offerings. The ELP Facilitators’ responsibilities fall into two main categories: 

1) facilitating ELP programmatic offerings, including student-facing program sessions, events, meetings, trainings, and more.

2) supporting ongoing programmatic and departmental development, including but not limited to: curriculum development; student recruitment and training, communication, and support; student engagement opportunities; meetings and presentations with current and potential partner high schools and other community partners; and program administration.  
 

Schedule Flexibility and On-Campus Work Expectations 

Scheduling flexibility and reliability are essential for this position. While a hybrid schedule allowing some remote work is possible, this is primarily an on-campus role.

• January–May: Candidates must be available to work regular hours of 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, 3–4 days per week in person at our Cambridge, MA campus, to support the Spring Flagship program.
• June–December: The typical schedule is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, but hours may vary as new programs are developed and organizational needs change.

Applicants must be able to adapt to evolving program requirements and maintain consistent, reliable availability throughout the year.
 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Collaborates with ELP and HRI staff to develop and refine ELP program curriculum.
• Facilitates ELP Spring Flagship program sessions, as well as other ELP program offerings on a seasonal basis.
• Collaborates with other ELP Facilitators and ELP Program Administrator to ensure best practices in content delivery and different modalities of facilitation to support high engagement from ELP participants.
• Debriefs with other ELP staff after each session to determine any modifications to subsequent sessions. Maintains accurate attendance records for all ELP participants and creates appropriate strategies and plans for participants to make up content for any missed sessions.
• Collaborates with ELP staff, contractors, and HRI colleagues to support development and posting of online program materials for mentors and mentees.
• Co-designs evaluation surveys for participants, partner schools and organizations, and other facilitators to gather feedback and assess program periodically.
• Collaborates with Schlesinger Library-designated staff to incorporate materials from the Schlesinger archives into program curriculum and develop mechanisms for content delivery.
• Maintains excellent working relationships and effective communication with staff across the Institute, partner schools, and other organizations, as relevant.
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility for regular staff but may oversee contingent workers, including student employees.

Physical Demands:    

The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Employee must have the ability to facilitate a two-hour workshop in a classroom setting. Standing, sitting, talking, hearing, focusing for considerable lengths of time is required.
• The employee will occasionally lift or move up to 40 pounds.

Work Environment:

• This job is performed primarily in a temperature-controlled office environment, with the possibility of occasional program activities taking place outside.
• Frequent movement between campus buildings will be required to provide support to our community.
• Scheduling flexibility to adapt to changing program needs and reliability are essential for this position.
• Support outside of regularly scheduled hours, including weekends, will occasionally be required.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Three years’ relevant experience including teaching, facilitating, or conducting workshops with adolescents and young adults. 

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Experience facilitating workshops with young people.
• Track record of interfacing successfully with youth and young adults.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service, youth, student, and/or community engagement, and to building supportive community among diverse groups of people.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Demonstrated strong analytical, writing, and communication skills. Proven ability to multi-task, plan, and execute complex projects, collaborate effectively, adjust and revise plans as needed, and take initiative and work independently.
• Passion for/commitment to connecting with, inspiring, and supporting young people on the topics of youth leadership and social change.
• Proficient with standard workplace technology platforms including but not limited to the following Microsoft applications (and their Google equivalents, if applicable): PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Forms, and Teams.
• Flexibility to adapt to new programming in early stages of development, and excitement for being a thought partner in new initiatives.
   

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• Graduate studies or professional experience related to youth work, youth leadership development, youth-led social change, civic engagement, and/or mentorship preferred.
• Experience with curriculum development strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with digital workplace applications including, but not limited to, Asana, Google Classroom, Formstack, and Canvas preferred.

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Employment
• Other Information:

  This description is intended to provide a clear, accurate, yet concise statement of the primary work elements, and to organize the information in a standardized format. It is not intended to describe all the essential responsibilities and duties for this position, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. This description is neither an employment agreement nor an expressed or implied employment contract, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study may modify it at any time.

Work Format Details

This is a position that is based at a Harvard campus location with some remote work options available. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). 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.