Executive Director, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University seeks an exceptional Executive Director to lead the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which strengthens the capabilities of mayors and senior city leaders to build more effective city governments, solve pressing problems, and improve outcomes for residents. This is an opportunity for a strategic and collaborative leader to help advance the next era of the Initiative’s programming and impact. 

Reporting to the Center’s Executive Director and working closely with the Center’s Faculty Director, this role will guide the team responsible for delivering executive education, applied learning, alumni programming, curriculum development, and in-city engagement. They will work with colleagues across the center to support faculty co-chairs in their academic leadership by facilitating high-quality pedagogy and curriculum design, delivering a world-class participant experience, ensuring coherence across and within programs, adapting programs to evolving needs of cities and their leaders, and collaborating with Bloomberg Philanthropies as a key partner in advancing the Initiative’s goals.

The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of leadership development and public sector capability building, along with the ability to translate ideas into practical action. They appreciate the complexity of operating within a major university and a philanthropic partnership and are comfortable leading in settings where multiple priorities, stakeholders, and perspectives must be aligned. They are energized by helping mayors and senior city leaders strengthen the skills and practices needed to deliver meaningful results for residents. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Provide strategic leadership  

• Help develop and execute a strategy that integrates executive education delivery, applied learning in the field, responsive curriculum design, and alumni support. 
• Ensure that all offerings build to a seamless, high-impact learning experience for mayors, senior leaders, and alumni cities. 
• Translate strategic priorities into Initiative-level goals, plans, and milestones. 
• Work closely with Initiative faculty co-chairs in their academic leadership to support high-quality program design, teaching, and participant experience.
• Anticipate the needs of mayors and city teams, identify patterns across programs, and use insights to strengthen relevance and impact.  

Lead and coordinate a high-performing senior team 

• Oversee the Senior Directors of Program Delivery, City Support, and Curriculum Development, who together manage approximately 20 professional staff. 
• Foster alignment, shared purpose, and strong collaboration across interdependent teams. 
• Partner with senior leaders in communications, research, student engagement, strategy and impact, and finance and administration, to advance shared goals.  

Ensure operational excellence across a complex and growing portfolio 

• Oversee the systems, processes, and operational infrastructure that support seamless delivery of 12 annual executive programs, 4 alumni programs, 3 applied learning tracks, the City Hall Fellow convenings, the Project on Municipal Innovation, and select in-city engagements. 
• Ensure strong program management and seamless participant experience across in-person, online, and in-city components, anticipating and addressing operational challenges. 
• Ensure faculty are supported with the structure, coordination, and clarity needed to teach and lead effectively.  

Oversee the evolution of curriculum and learning tools for program and field use 

• Support the development and dissemination of research-informed curriculum and teaching materials, including cases, guides, toolkits, simulations, and digital resources. 
• Support the advancement of new curriculum and learning tools for use in both the classroom and the field.  

Steward critical relationships with faculty, partners, and collaborators 

• Build strong relationships with Harvard faculty, city leaders, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and partner organizations. 
• Collaborate closely with Bloomberg Philanthropies to support shared goals, maintain strong communication, and steward donor relationships with consistency and care. 
• Represent the Initiative in conversations with collaborators across Harvard and with external partners worldwide. 
• Ensure that the Initiative’s work is aligned with university priorities, donor expectations, and the Center’s broader strategy.  

The ideal candidate combines strategic insight with operational discipline and has a demonstrated ability to lead complex, mission-driven programs at scale. They have the confidence and humility to lead seasoned senior directors, the skills to foster constructive collaboration, the clarity to bring structure and alignment to complexity, and the judgment to navigate high-profile partnerships with care. 

Additional Information: Reporting Structure 

This role is based on campus in Cambridge, MA and is a full-time position. Some travel to programs expected.

• Reports to the Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Cities. 
• Supports faculty co-chairs in their academic leadership.
• Has direct reports including the Senior Directors of Program Delivery, City Support, and Curriculum Development. 
• Receives dotted-line communications support from the Senior Director of Communications for the Initiative. 
• Works with Center-wide Senior Directors to leverage shared systems and expertise.