Assistant Director of Research and Communications
Harvard University Kennedy School
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Assistant Director of Research and Communications

Harvard University Kennedy School

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Details
Posted:
November 19, 2020
Location:
USA - MA - Cambridge
Salary:
Open
Type:
Full-time
About the Government Performance Lab
The Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) supports state and local governments in making more rapid progress on serious social challenges such as economic mobility, criminal justice involvement, and child abuse and neglect. We collaborate closely with government leaders, embedding staff inside agencies for 12-24 months to demonstrate innovations that will change client outcomes by improving how governments buy, deliver, and manage core services. The GPL has grown quickly since its founding in 2011 and today has a 40-person team working in jurisdictions across the United States in policy areas including early education, mental and behavioral health, child welfare, criminal justice, economic mobility, and procurement.

Research and communications functions are critical to the GPL's ability to fulfill its mission. In order to transform government, the GPL must be able to extract the lessons it is learning in the field and clearly and persuasively communicate them to state and local government policymakers and practitioners.


In this newly created role, the assistant director will work closely with the GPL's senior leadership to develop and distribute products capturing key insights, evidence, and lessons learned from GPL projects in the field, spread them to state and local government leaders across the country, and elevate the role of the GPL as a thought leader. Over the next two years, the GPL aims to increase production of case studies, policy briefs, guides, and toolkits based on its field work, while also experimenting with other ways of engaging policymakers and practitioner through trainings, virtual convenings, targeted newsletters, and distribution through professional organizations.

The assistant director will manage the process of content creation—collaborating with GPL staff to
identify and write about lessons learned from our on-the-ground projects and producing and editing written materials including policy briefs, case studies, technical training materials, website content, media pitches, blog posts, and social media. The assistant director will also work closely with the Taubman Center for State and Local Government Director of Communications to improve distribution of GPL content, working to increase the visibility and usefulness of our written materials. Over the next year, some of the content the GPL may create include supports for child welfare agency leaders improving connections to preventative services, documentation of bail reform and other criminal justice reforms intended to reduce incarceration, and resources for jurisdictions overhauling their procurement practices.

Key responsibilities for the assistant director will include:
1) Creating clear and insightful content – The assistant director will collaborate with GPL staff spread across the country to produce content that captures key insights, evidence, and lessons learned from the GPL's projects. This content may include both original content (long-form pieces, case studies, technical guides, policy briefs, interviews with government leaders) and derivative content (syntheses of insights across projects, blog posts, and guides to existing resources). The assistant director may directly craft the content or may manage a collaborative production process involving other GPL team members.

2) Identifying and engaging target audiences— The assistant director will determine key audiences, including state and local government policy makers, other practitioners, and policy area thought leaders, and develop strategies to reach these audiences. These efforts may include developing and managing new collaborations with professional organizations and other conveners, creating and curating outreach lists of key audience members, working closely with senior GPL staff to facilitate individual outreach, creating curated sets of existing GPL resources for target audiences, recruiting governments for participation GPL trainings and other light touch technical assistance offerings, and responding to requests for information from government leaders and media outlets.

3) Distributing content to target audiences– The assistant director will collaborate with the Taubman Center Director of Communications to distribute content to target audiences and improve the visibility of the GPL to policy and practitioner audiences. These efforts may include regularly updating the GPL's website, creating content for GPL newsletters, placing pieces in publications, securing presentation or speaking invitations at conferences, submitting pitches to media outlets, and managing social media accounts.

4) Maintaining communications supports and resources– The assistant director will work with the
Taubman Center Director of Communications and the HKS communications office to develop and
maintain communications resources and supports, including a digital asset library (e.g., photos,
videos, logos), content library, news coverage.

Important Application Instructions
Please Submit:
  • 2-3 writing samples. Writing samples should be solely authored by the candidate and include:
    o At least one long piece (5-8 pgs.)
    o At least one short piece (fewer than 2 pgs.)
    o At least one example of a policy-oriented paper (e.g. policy brief, memo, academic paper)
    o At least one example of digital media product (e.g. news article, press release, blog post,
    and/or social media post)
    o (Optional) Sample of print or web layout and graphic design products (e.g., slide deck,
    website graphics, or publication layout)

    This is a fully benefits-eligible term appointment ending one year from date of hire, with the possibility of renewal.

    We regret that the Harvard Kennedy School does not provide Visa Sponsorship.

    Harvard University requires pre-employment references and background checks.

    Harvard University is committed to supporting a healthy, sustainable learning and working environment.

    Please note: During the current period of Covid-19 related restrictions, this position may start as a remote position, with transition to onsite in Cambridge, Massachusetts when the office reopens.

    We continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 and lifting of restrictions. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility with our interview process. We will be conducting interviews virtually for selected candidates until further notice.



    Salary Grade: 057

    Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

    • Bachelor's degree and at least 2 years related work experience, including research, writing, public policy, or communications.

    Graduate degree in law, public policy, writing, communications or equivalent preferred and 5 years of experience preferred.

  • Strong research and research translation skills. Ability to identify core concepts and insights and
    synthesize into clear, plain language descriptions.
  • Excellent writing and editing skills, including the ability to consistently and independently produce
    compelling, well-written, and error-free work products with only light-touch guidance
  • Familiarity with state and local government or public policy
  • Capacity and willingness to both manage an organization-wide communications strategy and to
    undertake day-to-day implementation
  • Strong project management capabilities, with a demonstrated ability to independently manage
    projects to completion, establish priorities among multiple simultaneous deadlines, and sustain
    timely responses to deadlines and requests
  • Team player with the proven ability to build strong relationships and develop trust with colleagues
  • High level of competency with computer programs including word processing and spreadsheets
    and with collaborative tools such as Dropbox, Google Docs, or Microsoft OneDrive.
  • Experience with or willingness to learn graphic design programs such as Canva and Adobe
    Create Cloud applications
  • Experience managing online media, including websites and social media accounts
  • Ability to drive work product to completion in a start-up environment

    Submit:
  • 2-3 writing samples. Writing samples should be solely authored by the candidate and include:
    o At least one long piece (5-8 pgs.)
    o At least one short piece (fewer than 2 pgs.)
    o At least one example of a policy-oriented paper (e.g. policy brief, memo, academic paper)
    o At least one example of digital media product (e.g. news article, press release, blog post,
    and/or social media post)
    o (Optional) Sample of print or web layout and graphic design products (e.g., slide deck,
    website graphics, or publication layout)








    EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

    • Internal Number: 52933BR
    About Harvard University Kennedy School
    Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education. Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
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