Employment

Open Positions at Harvard Forest

Department Coordinator for Events and Property Operations 

Temporary Field Assistant

DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR FOR EVENTS AND PROPERTY OPERATIONS

Job Summary:

The Department Coordinator for Events and Property Operations plays a vital role in coordinating Harvard Forest’s external conference center activities, internal events and community-building, and property management for fourteen residential and administrative buildings. This role serves as the first point of contact for visitors to the Forest and is the “face” of Harvard Forest to a wide variety of constituents, including staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, international scholars, research collaborators, vendors, and the general public. This role encompasses a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities, and success in the role depends on prioritizing and triaging ever-changing and ever-evolving requests. Flexibility, customer service orientation, a sense of humor, and impeccable organization are essential. This position reports to the Director of Administration and Finance and plays a key role in communicating and sharing information across teams at the Forest, and meets regularly with members of the facilities, administration, education/outreach, and science teams.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Front Desk Reception Duties

  • Serve as the first point of contact for all visitors, providing a warm, professional, and welcoming presence
  • Triage and respond to inquiries from visitors, guest or internal community
  • Answer and route incoming phone calls and respond promptly to general inquiries
  • Manages phone system including training, voicemail and staff changes
  • Maintains an up-to-date department-wide email list
  • Manage all mailroom operations, including receiving and signing for packages, sorting and distributing incoming mail, coordinating with delivery carriers as needed, and promptly notifying community members of arrived items
  • Order, track, and maintain inventory of office supplies
  • Provides general office support as needed as part of the admin team
  • Support special projects as assigned, which may include creating mail merges and communication strategies, researching transportation options for community travel between Cambridge and Petersham, benchmarking governance structures at peer field stations, and other projects as assigned
  • Sell books and merchandise related to on-site museum
  • Other related front desk duties as needed

Conference Center Activities

  • Responds to all incoming inquiries for space reservation and housing requests
  • Maintains and approves online reservation requests and oversees usage of conference/seminar/museum space in close coordination with the Education and Outreach team; assists with booking space when needed
  • Organizes overnight accommodations for visitors (i.e. coordinates Housekeeping, prepares room keys, necessary forms & information)
  • Coordinates catering, logistics and sometimes travel for all campus conferences and workshops
  • Provides on-site troubleshooting services during events
  • Prepares invoices for all billable services related to the conference center as well as manages the tracking and collections of past due invoices
  • Ensures conference center dining and meeting spaces are appropriately stocked for events

Internal Events and Community Building

  • Coordinates Harvard College First Year Seminar course logistics with Senior Research Staff (transportation, lodging and food supplies/catering options).
  • Provides general support as needed to roughly 25 students and summer residential advisor which may include arranging air travel and transportation
  • Organizes multiple annual community-building events (Giving Thanks luncheon; Volunteer Dinner; Curling outing; retirement/departure parties, etc.)
  • Manages all aspects of event planning and coordination for Harvard Forest-sponsored conferences, programming and symposia (Eg. Annual Bullard Lecture, Winter Internship programming, Annual Ecology Symposium, Quarterly All-Staff meetings, etc)
  • Provides regular information to community members on local events to increase community engagement and to provide resources for international and residential scholars, staff, students, and visitors staying at the Forest

Property Management

  • Assigns space for offices, short and long-term housing, and conferences
  • Responsible for key management including distributing, tracking and ordering new keys for offices, gates, towers, and housing
  • Maintains reservation database, which includes housing assignments, tenant relations, and lease agreements
  • Orders linens, disposable items and cleaning supplies as requested by housekeeping contractor and custodian. 
  • Identifies priorities for housing upgrades and communicates those to the Land and Facilities Manager (including painting, furniture replacement, and routine maintenance, etc.). This involves aesthetic considerations as well as practical use

Working Conditions:

Work is typically performed on-site in Petersham, MA. Occasional remote work may be possible after the 90 day Orientation and Review period is over, but this position is primarily an on-site, in-office position.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma or equivalent and three or more years of related experience.


Additional Qualifications and Skills:

  • Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (including Sharepoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
  • Experience coordinating events and logistics for large-scale events
  • Experience serving in a greeting/reception role
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills and a customer service orientation
  • Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and shift smoothly between tasks
  • Must be flexible, enthusiastic, and open to and energized by change
  • Experience prioritizing and accomplishing tasks with minimal supervision, and creatively and independently solving problems that arise
  • Collaborative style, combined with the ability and desire to work in a team-based environment
  • Exceptional organizational skills
  • Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties
  • Comfort with learning new software and web-based applications
  • Experience with purchasing and invoicing
  • Experience in a deadline-driven environment
  • Interest in the research and educational mission of Harvard Forest

Additional Information

  • Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 with a one-hour unpaid lunch break. Event support sometimes requires work outside of these hours during the week and/or occasional weekend work.
  • Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
  • Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Motor Vehicle Record
  • Other Information: All formal written offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

For additional information and to apply, please visit Careers @ Harvard.

__ __ __ __ __ __

TEMPORARY FIELD ASSISTANT
Cavender Bares Lab Experiment

Join us at Harvard Forest and be part of a team dedicated to advancing our understanding of forest ecosystems and biodiversity!

Location: Petersham, Massachusetts
Position type: Full-Time (7 hours / 5 days per week)
Start date: Mid-April, 2026
Employment duration: 2-3 months

About the Role

Harvard Forest is seeking motivated individuals to join our team as Field Assistants to support ongoing research/current experiment based in a temperate forest plot at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. This role involves hands-on fieldwork in a dynamic outdoor environment, contributing to critical forestry and ecological research under the direction of Dr. Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Professor of Biology, Harvard University. The position is ideal for individuals who enjoy physical labor, have an interest in environmental sciences, and are eager to work as part of a collaborative team.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Plant and measure saplings as part of ongoing research projects.
  • Conduct weeding and apply wood chips (mulching) to maintain the plots’ health. Measure saplings and keep records of data on a digital platform (tablet or telephone). Perform physical labor in various weather conditions, including in summer heat.
  • Collaborate with researchers and other team members to ensure tasks are completed efficiently.
  • Follow safety protocols and maintain a clean and organized work environment.

Qualifications:

  • Must be 18 years of age or older, and eligible to work in the U.S.
  • Ability to perform physically demanding tasks, including lifting, bending, and working outdoors for extended periods. Walking and standing for long periods of time and carrying up to 25 lbs of field tools and equipment.
  • Previous experience in biology/ecology fieldwork, farm work, or similar outdoor labor is highly desirable.
  • Collaborative, proactive, and able to work effectively in a team. Strong problem-solving skills and a positive, amiable attitude. Interest in environmental sciences, forestry, or related fields is a plus.

Conditions

A cheerful attitude is important while working outdoors for up to 7 hours per day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm, including 1 lunch/break hour) under different weather conditions, including cold and rainy days and sweltering heat with mosquitos, ticks, and black flies (these pests may not appear until summer but might come early). The worksite is not near a building, and restroom use will be arranged by transporting people to Harvard Forest offices (half a mile down the road) as needed.

Tools and protection equipment will be provided for the performed task. Temporary employees will be supervised and accompanied at all times by Harvard University Herbaria staff and scholars during the season.

Logistics

Transportation to the work site in Petersham, Massachusetts, is the responsibility of the employee.

Why Join Us?

  • Gain hands-on experience in a renowned ecological research facility.
  • Contribute to meaningful research that impacts forestry and environmental science. Work in a supportive and collaborative team environment.
  • Enjoy the opportunity to work outdoors in a beautiful natural setting.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and a brief cover letter outlining their relevant experience and interest in the position to jramirezlerma@fas.harvard.edu and jcavender@fas.harvard.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The Harvard Forest Community

Harvard Forest is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. We have a Code of Conduct that clearly outlines expected conduct for members of our community, unacceptable conduct, and pathways for support for those who experience or witness misconduct. We have initiated an ongoing series of staff-wide trainings and formed a standing committee to build competence in DEIB in our workplace, improved physical and digital accessibility of our campus resources, and re-examined and replaced harmful artwork. We are working toward including Indigenous knowledge and communities in our research and education, land use, and public programs, improving field safety for at-risk populations, and diversifying our team of investigators and educators. The aim of this work is to collectively support and implement our mission: the investigation, understanding, and communication of the ways in which physical, biological, and human systems interact to change our Earth, while ensuring that all participants should feel that they are critical parts of the Harvard Forest community—whatever their identity groups. We welcome, recruit, develop, and advance talented staff, students, and visiting scholars from diverse backgrounds, and strive to ensure that all are included in our mission. Harvard Forest is also committed to supporting the work-life balance of its staff.

We particularly encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences (Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members) and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

COVID-19

Harvard University does not currently require vaccinations for COVID but strongly encourages folks to follow CDC recommendations including being up to date on vaccines.

EEO Statement

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, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.