Associate Director, Development Administration

The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) seeks an experienced and mission-driven Associate Director, Development Administration to help grow philanthropic support to the School by providing expertise in gift fund administration and financial acumen.  

The Harvard Kennedy School has a demonstrated track record of training the world’s leaders and public servants.  Since its founding in 1936, the Harvard Kennedy School has evolved from a graduate school of public administration to a global institution that brings together powerful research, students from over 100 countries, and practitioners from across the public sector to solve the major problems our time. Established with a gift of $2 million, the Kennedy School also has a long tradition of philanthropy.   In FY25, the School had a record-breaking year in revenue dollars, the number of alumni donors and the percent of revenue that came from non-alumni donors who chose the Kennedy School as their partner for impact.

The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)’s Alumni Affairs and Resource Development is a dedicated team supporting the School’s advancement activity through front-line fundraising, alumni and volunteer engagement, and community building. Our work directly supports the HKS mission to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match.

The Associate Director, Development Administration serves as a key partner to the Managing Director, Development Administration and the Executive Director, Principal & Major Gifts in advancing Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) philanthropic goals while ensuring full compliance with University and School fiscal and gift policies. The Associate Director provides strategic oversight of fund management, financial stewardship, and gift administration activities that support the work of the Alumni Relations and Resource Development (ARRD) office, with emphasis on principal and major gifts.   It also provides the finance expertise to ensure the financial sustainability of ARRD activities, and drives expense budgeting, accounting, and financial modeling to support accelerated revenue growth.  

This role ensures that gift funds are established, monitored, reported, and utilized in accordance with donor intent and institutional requirements.  It plays a central role in maintaining the integrity of HKS’s financial stewardship practices by producing high-quality reporting; conducting research and analysis that informs donor engagement and strategic decision-making; drafting gift terms; and advising fundraisers, School leadership, and research centers. The role also manages the ARRD expense budget and all activities related to current and future fiscal year expense budgeting, and is a key partner to ARRD and HKS leadership in shaping the financial underpinnings of philanthropic revenue growth.

Through thoughtful oversight, exceptional judgment, and strong cross-functional collaboration, the Associate Director contributes to meeting and exceeding ARRD’s fundraising goals, sustaining donor confidence, and enabling effective long-term resource planning.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Managing Director, Development Administration, draft, edit, and prepare gift terms for  philanthropic gifts.
• Lead the Development Administration team’s fund management and financial stewardship portfolio, partnering closely with ARRD fundraisers, HKS Office of Financial Services (OFS), and the University’s Alumni and Development Services (ADS) to create, track, and manage gift funds.
• Oversee the preparation, analysis, and dissemination of gift fund reports, including balances, contributions, income, and historical activity.
• Research and analyze gift histories, terms, and usage to ensure compliance with donor intent and University policy; advise the Senior Associate Dean of ARRD, ARRD staff, and senior HKS administrators on appropriate fund use.
• Develop and manage tools and systems for tracking gift activity and coordinate ARRD and School-wide ad hoc reporting requests.
• Liaise with the University’s Alumni Development Services on HKS’ pledge reminders to ensure timely and accurate financial commitments.
• Create, manage, and monitor annual and monthly budgets, expense forecasts, and financial projections.
• Assess financial feasibility of fundraising initiatives, and provide financial insights to support accelerated revenue growth and sustainability.
• Provide financial reports and expense projections in collaboration with OFS to support multi-year planning and donor stewardship.
• Ensure that internal ARRD budget tools, processes and accounting adhere to demonstrated best practice in Development.   
• Review existing processes and recommend enhancements to improve accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, leveraging best practices across the School and University.
• Perform complex financial modeling and ad-hoc analysis using University systems and data tools to support strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and quarterly reporting.
• Prepare and present summaries, dashboards, and decision-support materials for ARRD leadership.
• Partner with the Senior Associate Dean, ARRD, the Managing Director, Pipeline & Operations, and the Director, Business Analytics & Strategic Planning to tie expense projections and resource needs to revenue forecasts and multi-year philanthropic strategies.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with key partners across HKS and the University—including OFS, ADS, research centers, academic departments, and student affairs—to ensure coordinated practices, shared understanding, and efficient workflows.    

Other Responsibilities

• Perform additional duties as required or assigned, supporting ARRD’s mission and the evolving needs of the School.
• Uphold Harvard’s standards for confidentiality, data security, donor privacy, and ethical stewardship

Physical Requirements:

Primary work takes place in an office environment. Some tasks may require being on campus or in other off-site locations for a period of time. Sitting or standing for periods of time. Some repetitive motion.