Employment

Harvard Forest is seeking a full-time Financial Associate to join our administrative team. This role is responsible for a variety of financial administration activities (including sponsored research and capital projects), human resources, academic affairs, and general administrative assistance, including contract management and other special projects. 

This position serves as a principal resource for information on internal and external financial policies and procedures. They interact with all Harvard Forest staff and researchers including visiting researchers and external collaborators and a variety of central University offices and external vendors.

Position Description

Financial Administration:

• Ensure accurate and timely recording of financial transactions by preparing various journal entries, internal billings, and travel expense reporting on a regular basis.
• Perform account reconciliations and remedies.
• Recommends improvements for processes.
• Maintains and serve as a principal resource of complex financial policies at the university, school, and department level.
• Query financial records and prepare complex financial reports for use in decision making.
• Analysis of spending patterns and trends.
• Responsible honorarium payments and corresponding documentation
• Train new staff on financial processes and policies.
• Back up for Accounting Associate duties.
• Manage financial records and file retention in accordance with Harvard’s General Record Schedule (GRS).

Sponsored Research Assistance:

• Maintain expertise in the area of research administration to be able to support labs. This may take the form of non-financial progress report compliance and ancillary document preparation and guidance at proposal stage.
• Entering and revising budgets in Grants Management Application Suite (GMAS) at award stage and throughout life of award.
• Setting up and maintaining various tracking spreadsheets to assist with transaction monitoring.

Capital Project & Equipment Management:

• Develop budgets with Director of Administration & Facilities (DAF) and project manager.
• Oversee contractor selection and create contracts, obtain insurance documentation, and monitor payment milestones and deadlines.
• Process invoices and internal journal entries as needed.
• Tracking and reconciling costs to budgets.
• Communicate with Office for Physical Resources & Planning (OPRP) and Harvard Forest (HF) project team regarding status of projects.
• Track capital equipment transactions such as new purchases and disposals.
• Provide guidance on policies and procedures.
• Coordinate departmental inventory every two years.
• Manage financial records and file retention in accordance with Harvard’s General Record Schedule (GRS).

Contract management:

• Contract and service agreement creation and management, including monitoring payment milestones and deadlines.
• Obtaining proof of insurance from new contractors and maintaining for ongoing contractors.
• Oversee independent contractor process.
• Creating bid requests for utilities such as propane and electricity.

Human Resources Coordination and Academic Affairs:

• Management of Temporarily and Less-than Half Time (LHT) appointments including processing all aspects of their appointments, ensuring their on-boarding, and approving their weekly payroll.
• Responsible for all academic appointment stewardship including postdocs, associates, visiting scholars, Bullard Fellows, and other fellows, including the various aspects of onboarding each of these categories of academic appointments.
• Assists and acts as backup to Department of Administration and Facilities (DAF) on all appointment processing and onboarding for all Forest FTE, particularly Research Assistants and Technicians
• Manages confidential files and employee personnel records.

General Administration:

• Support the department with phone and in-person inquiries. Backup to department coordinator on conference center tasks.
• Maintain water operations paperwork and ensure compliance with testing schedule in accordance with MA Department of Environmental Protects (DEP) regulations.
• Maintain and recommend department financial and facilities-use policies and procedures.
• Complete other tasks as needed

Basic Qualifications

• Associate's degree or equivalent experience.
• Three to five years of related experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Written and oral communication skills required.
• Computer competency requiring spreadsheet and database software required. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to handle complex and confidential information with discretion.
• Familiarity with Harvard University financial applications.
• May be tested on appropriate computer skills.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting using near vision for computer use for extended periods of time

Working Conditions

• Work is typically preformed in an office environment.

Additional Information

• We regret that Harvard University is unable to provide work authorization and/or visa sponsorship for this position.
• All formal offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

Work Format Details

• This is a hybrid position that is based in Petersham, Massachusetts.
• Additional details will be discussed during the interview process.
• All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). 

To apply or learn more about the position, including its benefits package, click here. 

Temporary Field Technicians (Eight positions available)

Summary

The Harvard Forest (HF) seeks up to eight talented and enthusiastic individuals to oversee the re-census (sampling and data management) of a large-scale (35 ha) temperate forest plot. Reporting to HF Forest Ecologist Dr. David Orwig, the Field Technicians will work closely with scientists from the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) (www.ctfs.si.edu) and the Smithsonian Global Earth Observatory (SIGEO) to help ensure that sampling and data management are consistent with other temperate and tropical forest plots. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Crews will work together in pairs to census, tag, paint, and map all woody stems ≥ 1 cm dbh within a portion of the 35-ha forest plot; Crews will also enter field data regularly into a CTFS database. 

Required Education, Experience, and Skills

College background in Botany, Ecology, Forestry, or Biology and ability to work well with others required.  Desired skills include experience with vegetation sampling, knowledge of temperate New England forest flora and forest dynamics, skill with compass, familiarity with mapping, tablets, and GIS software. Successful applicants will have strong interest to work with interdisciplinary science teams and serious interest in environmental research.  Regretfully, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for staff positions.

Working Conditions

Must have a cheerful attitude while working outdoors under all weather conditions including cold and rainy days and sweltering summer heat with mosquitos, ticks, and black flies. Applicants must be capable of walking/hiking several miles each day carrying up to 25lbs. of field equipment. 

Compensation, Benefits and Application Process

Competitive salary for these 13-week temporary positions will be $18/hr.   Positions will begin in mid-May 2025, for up to 13 weeks. Apply by sending cover letter, resume and contact information for 3 relevant references to hfapps@fas.harvard.edu, Subject line: Megaplot project. Application review will begin immediately and interviews will begin in early to mid-February 2025.

Harvard Forest

Harvard Forest, an internationally recognized center for basic research in forest ecology, is one of 28 Long Term Ecological Research sites across the country sponsored by the National Science Foundation.  The Forest facilities include a research and administrative complex, 4000 acres of land and 14 residential buildings which are located in Petersham, a small town in central Massachusetts. For more information about the Forest, visit our website at: http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu.

Project Team Philosophy: We believe in conducting science with both humility and intellectual rigor. We respect all people and will combat institutional racism and gender bias at every opportunity. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and to fostering a welcoming and stimulating environment so that project participants can develop, grow, and achieve their professional goals. 

Assistant Program Coordinator / Resident Advisor (13-week position beginning May 19, 2025)

Since 1993, the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology has been an integral part of Harvard Forest’s research and education mission. In 2025, ~20 undergraduate students will join the Harvard Forest community in researching the effects of natural and human disturbances on forest ecosystems. The Assistant Program Coordinator/Resident Advisor works closely with the Summer Program Coordinator to organize the educational components of the program, and to provide the information, advising, support, and management required to create a hospitable academic work environment.

Duties and Responsibilities
Working under the supervision of the Summer Program Coordinator, the Assistant Program Coordinator/Resident Advisor will be responsible for the following duties corresponding to both aspects of the role.

Assistant Program Coordinator
Assist with student arrival and orientation (May 26th – 30th)
Inform students of Harvard Forest activities, policies, and expectations
Coordinate weekly evening workshops and seminars
Work with Summer Program Coordinator to resolve student issues
Organize Summer Student Symposium in early August
Work on various tasks as needed to facilitate summer research program

Resident Advisor
Responsible for day-to-day activities related to the successful operation of a student residence
Hold weekly house meetings
Plan, organize, and direct student committees (recycling, social activities, etc.)
Advise students on matters concerning community development, conflict resolution and counseling

Required Skills, Training and Experience

• Excellent listening, negotiation, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication (verbal and written) and computer skills, comfortable using email and list-serves
• Capable of performing a variety of tasks simultaneously
• Work independently with moderate supervision
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must have completed undergraduate degree as of Spring 2025

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with ethnically and culturally diverse population preferred
• Experience as a Resident Assistant/Advisor preferred
• Experience in environmental science work a plus, but note that this is an administrative, not research, position
• Regretfully we cannot offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Time Commitment and Compensation
Compensation is $18.50/hour for 40 hours per week for 13 weeks (May 19 to August 15, 2025); start date is firm and must be on-site. The assistant has a private room (room and board provided), shared office space with computer, and access to Harvard Forest vehicles. The position requires on-site residence with weeknight and weekend work.

Application
Apply by sending bundled PDF cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to hfapps@fas.harvard.edu SUBJECT LINE: ASSISTANT PROGRAM COORDINATOR/RESIDENT ADVISOR. Application review will begin on March 3, 2025; the position will remain open until filled. Additional information about Harvard Forest and the summer program is available at http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu.
No phone calls, please.

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