Staff Assistant III

Job Summary:

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs facilitates the production of pathbreaking social science research on international, comparative, transnational, and global issues. Our community of scholars consists of over 400 affiliates from multiple social science disciplines and includes both Harvard faculty and students drawing from ten of Harvard’s schools as well as visitors to Harvard from all over the world. We house several dynamic research programs, initiatives, and clusters; host conferences, seminars, and workshops; and provide competitive fellowships to global scholars and research funding to Harvard faculty and students. This position is responsible for many of the day-to-day administrative functions that are in line with the research and teaching missions of the Program on US-Japan Relations.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Working closely with the Faculty Director and administrative leadership, the Staff Assistant supports the daily operations of the Program on U.S.-Japan Relations. This position combines program support, community building, and occasional research assistance, providing direct support to the Faculty Director while helping to advance the program’s academic, educational, and public outreach activities.

The role includes research on topics related to East Asia, including trade, international political economy, and foreign policy. Responsibilities include preparing background memoranda and literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data, producing graphs and other visualizations, and assisting with the preparation of presentations.

The Staff Assistant also manages logistical and administrative aspects of the program’s events, including seminars, workshops, conferences, and activities with Harvard undergraduate and graduate student groups. Responsibilities include coordinating speakers and participants, managing event logistics, and supporting successful program execution.

Additional responsibilities include serving as the primary point of contact for visitors and general inquiries, assisting with office operations, acting as the departmental IT liaison, and supporting the program’s website and social media communications.

Performs other duties as required. Occasional overtime required.