Project Manager, Research Initiatives for College and Career Success at HarvardUniversity

Organization Overview HGSE is a diverse community of learners, teachers, and employees who are passionate about changing the world through education and striving for maximum impact in the field of education. The Project Manager will be part of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University. CEPR seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using evidence, rather than hunches and untested assumptions. In pursuit of this end, CEPR both conducts cutting-edge quantitative research on critical topics for the field and develops new and faster models of education research that can better support education leaders. Project Managers are a critical part of the CEPR team, helping education leaders around the country to learn what's working and what's not in education. We are seeking an adaptable, detail-oriented, and organized Project Manager to support the research work of the Center who is motivated by CEPR’s mission of improving education outcomes with evidence. Position Overview We are seeking a highly organized and analytical Project Manager who will be responsible for project logistics, systematic literature reviews, translation of research evidence into practitioner-friendly communications, coordinating school district-facing technical assistance, partner recruitment, and landscape reviews related to college and career readiness policies. This is a hands-on role that requires analytic thinking, data and document collection, and analysis. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, flexible, and capable of synthesizing complex information into clear, actionable frameworks. Key Responsibilities Logistics Support (30%) • Plan and coordinate logistics for all meetings related to project work, including: internal meetings, stakeholder interviews, state site visits, stakeholder convenings, and other meetings as required. • Maintain project workplans, ensuring tasks are up to date in Asana, goals and deliverables are clear, deadlines are met, and there is consistent communication across team members • Organize and support travel and reimbursements, including understanding and consistently implementing Harvard’s finance and travel policy • Assist in preparation of grant proposals and reportingPartner Recruitment and Relationship Management (20%) • Identify, recruit, and onboard school districts and education agencies to participate in the project, including developing recruitment materials, conducting outreach, and managing partnership agreements • Serve as primary contact and relationship manager for district partners, ensuring ongoing communication, addressing needs, and supporting successful engagement throughout the project lifecycle • Maintain partner engagement and progress tracking systems, documenting implementation outcomes and district-level dataTechnical Assistance and Program Management (45%) • Provide targeted technical assistance to address district-specific barriers and support fidelity of implementation • Serve as liaison between research team and practitioners, translating research evidence and providing feedback from the field to inform project refinement • Provide ongoing support to district data coaches who serve as the primary implementation leads within partner schools and districts • Develop coaching frameworks, resources, and performance monitoring systems to ensure data coaches are equipped to support district implementation effectively • Coordinate and facilitate professional development trainings for district staff and data coaches, including curriculum development, logistics, and follow-up support • Establish and facilitate communities of practice for district partners and data coaches, creating spaces for peer learning, problem-solving, and knowledge exchange across sites • Conduct needs assessments with district partners to identify implementation challenges and customize technical assistance accordingly • Conduct systematic literature reviews, policy landscape analyses, and other background research as needed to inform partner assistance and programmingAdditional Duties as Assigned (5%) • Work with the project team as needed to meet project milestones and grant requirementsThis is a one year term position with possibility of renewal based on need and funding.