Full-Time Project Manager
Job Description
Job ID: 35900BR
Project Manager
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
Duties & Responsibilities
Over the past three years, the Center has been developing an R&D platform in North America through the Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative. This effort has engaged a diverse group of leaders across sectors, communities, and professions who are eager to think differently and work together in the pursuit of transformative change. To this end, we are actively designing and testing new intervention strategies and fostering a multi-dimensional learning community to connect highly motivated people and organizations, and to accelerate the pace of science-informed innovation. The Center is now poised to bring a global dimension to this work through the development of a small number of “innovation clusters” in select countries.
Clusters are defined by two features: 1. the collective testing of multiple intervention pilots in a diversity of sites that are linked thematically to promote shared learning. 2. the process of co-creation by researchers and practitioners at the program level through an iterative model that facilitates the design, implementation, and evaluation of multiple approaches. Other features include links to policymakers and sponsorship from funders to support risk taking and experimentation. Finally, a productive cluster requires a research and evaluation “hub” that promotes short-cycle feedback, rapid interpretation of results, and continuous adaptation of strategies over time within a defined area.
Responsibilities include:
•Managing the innovation design and implementation process jointly with on-the-ground partners by providing sites with strategic guidance, project management support, case development, and targeted technical assistance, including:
o Drafting project proposals, budgets, timelines, and workplans
o Researching and identifying potential partners, participants, and resources
o Planning and organizing workshops and community meetings
o Supporting the start-up process for selected sites and participating in ongoing site management
o Developing tools and methods to support rapid-cycle learning, analyzing and synthesizing learnings from each step of the process
o Developing reports, case studies and other learning and dissemination vehicles
•Contributing to the planning and creation of a shared measurement system to facilitate cross-site/cross-strategy learning that is grounded in common metrics.
•Supporting the development and implementation of mechanisms for shared learning between the innovation sites and across the global Frontiers of Innovation learning community.
•Drafting written products for both internal and external dissemination, which may include executive summaries, grant/gift proposals, and project reports for funders
•Building and maintaining strong working relationships through effective and timely management of communication with colleagues on the team, Center staff, partner organizations, and other key constituents
•Conducting research on issues related to FOI’s global program strategy, including locating and summarizing scientific articles and summarizing relevant new, emerging programs or policies
•Keeping a finger on the pulse of the social impact and the social innovation space; contributing these perspectives to internal and external conversations to help inspire and drive further innovation efforts
•Exploring new ideas and opportunities and connecting them to other workstreams and across the Center
•Contributing to an initiative- and Center-wide evaluation process that tracks important programmatic data to enable building best practices and institutional knowledge across the Center
•Collaborating with Center leadership and staff on the development and management of strategy and work plans to advance the Center’s innovation strategies and global agenda.
•Other tasks as needed
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required and/or 4 years professional experience in a field related to social impact and innovation and/or international development. Strong organizational skills and proven experience in meeting deadlines.
Additional Qualifications
Master’s degree preferred. Previous experience in project management strongly preferred. Excellent writing skill. Passion for social impact and generating breakthrough outcomes for children in adversity. Experience working on the ground with a nonprofit or social enterprise addressing community challenges in an international context. Ability to expertly manage key components of the project design and implementation process. Strong interpersonal and communication skills with experience working across cultures. True commitment and skill working across sectors and disciplines and comfortable fostering collaboration in diverse, multidisciplinary teams. High capacity to multi-task and meet competing deadlines in a fast-paced work environment. Exceptional organizational skills and ability to prioritize and follow through. Ability to work in a matrixed organization. Additional languages, grace under pressure, and a sense of humor a plus.