About Us:
The Wyss Institute’s mission is to transform healthcare and the environment by emulating the way nature builds. We harness the freedom of academia and the focus of industry in order to translate revolutionary technologies into commercial products and solutions. At the Wyss Institute, faculty from premier academic and clinical institutions, collaborate with staff scientists, postdocs, graduate students, industry experts, business development leaders, and entrepreneurs across disciplines to invent and de-risk new technologies that don’t just succeed at making it to the market – they disrupt it. We support research that universities, companies, and venture capital firms don’t fund because they view it as too risky. We prefer to use the word “challenging,” and we love challenges. For more information, visit: http://wyss.harvard.edu/

About You:
You are a creative problem solver and want to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment that promotes student and faculty engagement in a culture of learning and research. You have demonstrated expertise working in academic affairs and are highly adaptable. You are self-motivated and thrive in a fast-paced environment. You are excited by working with diverse groups of people that create innovations that can change the world.

About the Role:
We are looking for a talented Manager of Academic Affairs (MAA) to manage all academic appointments and serve as the lead on all visa and immigration-related processes for the Institute. Reporting to the Senior Administrative Officer with a dotted to the Human Resources Director, you will develop innovative solutions to the unique academic appointment and visa-related needs of the Institute. You will collaborate closely with Senior Leadership, Faculty and HR to create a cohesive strategy for academic hires in line with the University guidelines and tailored to meet the evolving needs of the Institute.

What you'll do:
- Academic Affairs Oversight: Manage all academic appointments, including recruiting and onboarding new hires, processing payroll changes, advising and managing promotions, and tracking appointment terms and policies/procedures specific to the Wyss; Interact with collaborating institutions, other school academic leads and functional areas within the Wyss to problem solve issues related to appointments, visas, and other academic concerns. Supervise and mentor the Academic Affairs Administrator.
- Visa and Immigration Lead: Provide expert immigration advice to internal constituencies on increasingly complex rules and procedures related to all Wyss staff; Liaise with the Harvard International Office and immigration lawyers.
- Workforce Administration and Process Improvement: Maintain Sharepoint People database for Wyss Staff, collaborate with Sharepoint Developer and other stakeholders to identify improvements and run ad-hoc reports as needed; Interface with Senior Compliance Officer and OVPR on compliance issues related to new hires, visas, etc.; Process temporary and less than half time appointments; Serve as backup for some HR transactions.
- Academic and Staff Related Projects: Manages other special projects as assigned; Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness through actions, interactions, and communications with others.


What you'll need:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administrative management experience preferably in a Harvard academic setting.

Desirable Skills:
- Must be both detail-oriented and able to think ‘big picture,’ with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a complex and dynamic/evolving environment.
- Flexibility and a mindset of getting things done are very important.
- The ability to function in an entrepreneurial setting is essential.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the capacity to relate effectively with all levels of the University as well as with external organizations.
- Fluency with common business applications such as MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Excellent writing and editing skills.
- The successful candidate must have the ability to exercise good judgment on a range of issues, some confidential in nature, and to manage complex projects through to completion.
- Track record of success in managing issues related to international scholars, visas and appointments is preferred.