Project Lead

Job Summary

The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) is a university-wide academic and research center in humanitarian crisis and leadership. HHI is based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Global Health and Population and is affiliated with the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). As an Inter-Faculty Initiative at Harvard University, HHI collaborates closely with all Harvard Schools and Harvard Teaching Hospitals, and is the primary humanitarian outreach arm of Harvard University. The mission of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative is to create new knowledge and advance evidence-based leadership in disasters and humanitarian crisis. HHI was founded in 2005, currently operates 20 projects in 26 countries, and consists of over 75 staff, faculty, affiliated experts, students, fellows, and collaborators. HHI’s aim is to promote interdisciplinary dialogue in pressing humanitarian issues, advance the science and practice of humanitarian response worldwide, and improve the lives of communities in war, conflict, and natural disasters.

The Program on Resilient Communities within HHI does population-based research on disaster preparedness and resilience in countries impacted by climate change. Data and analysis are used to raise awareness and inform programming of humanitarian, development, the private sector, and relevant government agencies supporting disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation measures.

The Project Lead-Nepal is the primary focal point for HHI’s country-based research activities and will be responsible for building and maintaining the network of academic, government, private, civil society, and government actors responsible for disaster preparedness policies and programming. The Project Lead will support all in-country logistics and administration needed to fulfill program objectives. The Project Lead will provide contextual knowledge of the disaster ecosystem in Nepal and will provide strategic guidance for HHI research and programming in Nepal. The Project Lead will further work closely with the Resilient Communities team to plan for, conduct, and review HHI programming and will contribute to the broader success and growth of the program.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

Additional duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Research

Support the design and implementation of research activities related to disasters, climate change, and public health in Nepal.
Manage day-to-day program activities in Nepal.
Maintain awareness of developments around disaster preparedness and response in-country and advise the PRC team as needed.
Support research logistics, including, but not limited to coordinating fieldwork, data gathering, and other activities.
Co-write reports and publications with the Principal Investigator (PI) and HHI researchers.
Identify potential research projects, as well as partners, in Nepal.
Support and collaborate with colleagues in the Philippines and at HHI, especially around knowledge-sharing and improvement of research activities.

Partnership-Building

Build and maintain relationships with relevant academic, government, private, civil society, and government actors working in disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation.
Work with these actors to translate research findings into practical, evidence-based policy and programming.

Knowledge Management and Reporting

Visit Harvard University once in the academic year to present research findings to Harvard faculty, staff, and students.
Document project implementation including accomplishments reached, challenges encountered, and lessons learned through annual accomplishment reports.
Engage in regular check-in sessions with supervisors from HHI.

Other Responsibilities

Assist with the program’s communications activities in Nepal including, but not limited to language translation from English to local language, information dissemination, and connecting with different local stakeholders.
Coordinate logistics and schedule of business travel by HHI staff to and from Nepal.
Manage project budget for Nepal-based activities.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required
3+ years of related experience required

Additional Qualifications and Skills

The following job-specific skills and competencies are preferred:

Master's degree
Experience in the humanitarian and/or development field
A strong understanding of the disaster management system in Nepal including key actors and issues
Cross-functional project management experience and/or coordination
Experience working in an academic setting
Experience with Microsoft suite of programs, Zoom, file organization using Dropbox, quantitative analysis preferred (SPSS, R, STATA)
Experience working independently with minimal direction, as well as in work environments with a high degree of collaboration
Strong attention to detail, with experience relating those details to the bigger picture
Meeting facilitation skills, adaptability to change, experience working under pressure, and curiosity
A keen eye for interpersonal dynamics and relationship maintenance

The following cultural competencies are also preferred:

Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences within group environments
Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
Skills related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity

Additional Information

This position has a term end date of 1 year from the hire date, with a strong possibility for extension.
This is a remote, work-from-home position, with occasional fieldwork locally. The candidate must be based in Nepal.

How to apply

Please email the following documents to Hannah Stoddard (hstoddard@hsph.harvard.edu) with the subject line: PL-Nepal: [Your Name]

Your CV with the names of two character references
A cover letter (not exceeding one page)
One writing sample (research, publication, or essay)