Assistant Director, Operations, MBA Admissions & Financial Aid
Harvard University · Boston
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 Business School?
Harvard Business School, located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, was founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University. It is among the world's most trusted sources of management education and thought leadership. For more than a century, the School's faculty has combined a passion for teaching with rigorous research conducted alongside practitioners at world-leading organizations to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, learning, and entrepreneurship that includes MBA, Doctoral, Executive Education, and Online programs, as well as numerous initiatives, centers, institutes, and labs, Harvard Business School fosters bold new ideas and collaborative learning networks that shape the future of business.
Job Description
Job Summary:
The Assistant Director, Operations for Admissions and Financial Aid serves as the technical and systems lead for the MBA Admissions and Financial Aid teams. Reporting to the Director, Operations and partnering closely with the Director, Financial Aid, this position oversees the systems, applications, data flows, and operational processes that support recruitment, application review, interview and evaluation activities, financial aid administration, and student-facing programs.
The role combines advanced Slate administration, application and workflow design, systems integration, data security, project leadership, and cross-functional consultation. The Assistant Director translates business and program needs into secure, sustainable technical solutions; serves as a trusted thought partner to senior leaders; and coordinates work across Admissions, Financial Aid, MBA IT, Technolutions, and other MBA and Harvard partners. The position routinely handles highly confidential Level 4 data and exercises independent judgment in protecting information, managing access, and resolving complex operational and technical issues.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Strategic Operations and Systems Leadership
Lead technical and systems strategy across MBA Admissions and Financial Aid, aligning platform capabilities with program priorities and annual operating cycles.
Serve as the primary technology lead and main point of contact for HBS IT and Technolutions on upgrades, system requests, issue resolution, and longer-term improvements.
Translate operational requirements into scalable workflows, forms, portals, reports, and processes across Admissions Slate, Financial Aid Slate, PowerFaids, the student information system, and related platforms.
Lead cross-team planning for projects involving Outreach, Evaluation, Yield, Financial Aid, Joint Programs, Career and Professional Development, External Relations, and other MBA departments.
Evaluate emerging technologies and serve as a resource on responsible use of automation and AI-enabled tools in Admissions operations.
Admissions Application and Evaluation Operations
Lead all phases of the MBA and 2+2 application lifecycle, including annual design, creation, testing, updates, release, decision notification, and ongoing maintenance.
Oversee application processing and the supporting workflows for applicants, Admissions Board readers, interviewers, and observers.
Manage the technical and operational components of the interview and observer process, including forms, schedules, pairing, communications, Zoom observer logistics, system troubleshooting, training, and report tracking.
Manage Slate rules and conduct the annual review of rules, workflows, permissions, portals, and related configuration to ensure that they remain accurate and effective.
Oversee application fee waiver requests, testing and English-language score processing, transcript and employment verification queries, fraud-report workflows, and related application operations.
Financial Aid Technology and Operations
Oversee the technical and data infrastructure supporting MBA Financial Aid, including the Financial Aid application, Certification of Finances, Scholarship Calculator, Complementary Fellowships, Career Support, and related forms and portals.
Partner with the Director, Financial Aid and the Director, Operations to identify and implement solutions that improve the student and staff experience while maintaining operational and data integrity.
Coordinate with MBA IT on the design, testing, and launch of major Financial Aid applications and annual cycle preparation activities.
Manage integrations and data exchanges among Financial Aid Slate, Admissions Slate, PowerFaids, the student information system, and other platforms.
Coordinate application design, collection, and processing for special programs and initiatives, including GO:Africa, Search Fund, Social Enterprise Loan Reduction, and Tech Fellows applications.
Support Financial Aid communications, mailings, polls, reader workflows, rules, portals, and decision releases as assigned.
Data Governance Security and Integrations
Design and maintain processes that ensure data is collected, organized, transferred, retained, and used accurately across systems.
Manage data pipelines and integrations, including feeds between Slate and the student information system, and monitor the interaction of database products from different vendors.
Establish and maintain appropriate access controls for Level 4 data so that users see the right information at the right time and only for legitimate business purposes.
Oversee data security, confidentiality, annual retention activities, GDPR-related requests, and compliance with Harvard and HBS policies.
Create and run queries, reports, exports, filters, portals, dashboards, and custom PDFs in support of Admissions and Financial Aid operations and decision-making.
Training Mentorship and Team Contribution
Onboard and train new Admissions and Financial Aid staff on Slate, workflows, event management, communications, data retrieval, and efficient use of technology.
Provide coaching and consultation to colleagues, document processes, and promote consistent use of systems and data across teams.
Contribute to a collaborative, service-oriented operations team and perform other duties as assigned.
Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents
- This role is responsible for other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree required.
Five or more years of relevant professional experience in higher education, admissions, financial aid, operations, systems administration, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience administering complex data systems and leading cross-functional technical or operational projects.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools.
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
- Experience with Slate CRM (Technolutions) or similar admissions/enrollment management platforms strongly preferred
- Experience with PowerFaids or other financial aid management systems
- Familiarity with student information systems (SIS) and data integration between multiple platforms
- Understanding of data security and privacy regulations (e.g., FERPA, GDPR) and best practices for managing confidential or sensitive information
- Experience designing and maintaining data governance frameworks, including access controls and permissions management
- Project management experience, with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
Additional Information
- Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week
- Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
- Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
- Other Information:
- This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice.
- We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.
- A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity
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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 057. 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.