Manager – Climate Entrepreneurship Programs

Job Description

Job Summary:

Are you passionate about fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the fight against climate change? The Manager, Climate Entrepreneurship Programs at the Harvard Innovation Labs will play a critical role in running a suite of programs aimed at empowering emerging climate-focused ventures. These include the Climate Circle Accelerator, “How to Create a Climate Venture” ideation bootcamp, and other climate programs, as well as helping build future offerings. This position requires exceptional organizational skills, program management expertise, sound stakeholder management in a complex institutional environment, and a strong commitment to advancing sustainability. This position reports to the Senior Advisor, Social Impact + Climate.

The mission of the Harvard Innovation Labs is to champion the people behind the ideas — equipping Harvard entrepreneurs with the community, skills, and opportunities to turn insights into impact. Support extends from pre-idea students to an incubator for early-stage entrepreneurs to accelerators and beyond.

Visit innovationlabs.harvard.edu for more information.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Program Management:

Programming Vision and Planning

• Supports annual climate programming vision and planning, translating plans into scheduled sessions and events.
• On an ongoing basis, manages the annual calendar and cadence for climate entrepreneurship programming, ensuring all key milestones and deadlines are met.
• Proactively oversees the administrative processes for the student i-lab climate cohort, the Climate Circle Accelerator, and the climate ideation bootcamp. Sets up the structure for and manages day-to-day cohort operations — communications, content, calendar, and events — working across all programs in partnership with  i-lab Member Experience team.
• Evaluates program outcomes — working with the broader team to define what gets measured, gather it, and suggest recommendations based on the data.

Event and Program Logistics

• Organizes and executes events, workshops, orientations, pitch days, showcases and program-related activities, ensuring high-quality experiences for participants. Manages logistics for each of these events, such as registrations, speaker coordination, material preparation, day-of staffing, recordings, follow-up communications and event feedback.
• Works closely with the i-lab’s program, operations, and communication teams to help create best practices, standard operating procedures, and utilize existing systems.

Planning and Execution for Climate Circle Accelerator and Climate Ideation Bootcamp:

Climate Circle Accelerator

• Manages the application process for the Climate Circle Accelerator including application design, setting up cohort interviews, monitoring acceptance decisions, and executing applicant communications.
• Manages recruitment, application vetting, participant orientation, the in-person Summit, and program events throughout the year for the Climate Circle Accelerator. Collaborates with Marketing on outreach to ensure a high-quality applicant pool, recruited via targeted partnerships.
• Supports the Climate Circle Accelerator’s major annual events — orientation and summit, workshops and venture programming, virtual venture showcase and pitch prep, President’s Innovation Challenge — working with the Venture Acceleration team.
• Keeps venture resource guides and toolkits up to date with the latest climate entrepreneurship information.

Climate Ideation Bootcamp

• Leads recruitment, vetting, administration, online engagement, and follow-up from the “How to Create a Climate Venture” bootcamp.
• Helps prepare registered participants, including ensuring all have access to materials, calendar invitations and virtual link access.
• Supports in-class delivery, including managing logistics, assisting with materials, and facilitating activities.
• Facilitates the participant group chat, meet-ups, and provides wayfinding for participants to leverage supplemental tools, recordings, and resources for their venture journeys.
• Schedules guest speakers and share their backgrounds and tools on the course platform.
• Facilitates group office hours for participants to go deeper on relevant topics.
• Supports distribution and facilitation of recorded asynchronous content.
• Supports preparation of additional formats and follow-on content for teaching climate entrepreneurship.

Venture Referrals and Network Coordination:

• Supports the advisors’ sourcing of climate experts and funders, intake calls with them — coordinating the process so the people making the relationship calls are set up well and followed up with.
• Supports the curation of venture connections and referrals led by the climate advising team.
• Runs a regular cadence of venture referrals and outcome tracking — ensuring introductions, recommendations, and curated opportunity lists go out on schedule, and gathering learnings from the outcomes of the connections.

Data and Records Management:

• Utilizes i-lab technology and AI tools to ensure all information is current, connected, and usable to track events, participant progress, referral /ecosystem connections, and program outcomes.
• Collects and manages program and contact data for reporting and evaluation purposes. Partners with the i-lab Technology and Data Management team to ensure that data is integrated into the CRM system.
• Maintains application and program updates and the underlying data across cycles.

Communications:

• In partnership with the internal Marketing + Communications team, works to determine opportunities for founders or venture teams to be featured. Drafts and distributes regular climate-focused newsletters to external stakeholders, showcasing climate venture achievements, and coordinating contributions across the climate and communications teams.
• Reply to all outreach in the i-lab Climate inbox, pulling in other decision makers as needed, and creating scalable systems for managing recurring questions.
• Oversees the on-demand content library — editing, securing permissions, and sharing recordings and materials with the right audiences.
• Supports website refreshes such as for the Climate Circle, Climate Ideation bootcamps, and Climate News + Stories sections.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Works closely with internal departments, such as marketing, operations, and IT, to execute program goals and activities. For key milestones, identifies key internal deadlines and coordinators across teams.
• Attends internal i-lab meetings on behalf of the climate team, carrying the climate cohort’s needs into cross-team planning and bringing decisions back.
• Drafts and refines memos, presentations and reports for climate-related collaborations within Harvard and with external stakeholders.

New Program Development:

• As the i-lab creates new climate venture programs, builds the operational infrastructure required to run a pilot, in partnership with the climate advisors, the Member Experience team, and internal stakeholders, using existing or new tools.
• Runs pilots of new climate programming and evaluates the program against its goals, producing options for whether and how to continue.
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents.
• This role is responsible for other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in operations or program management, ideally within climate, entrepreneurship or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Experience managing cohorts, programs, and events.
• Strong stakeholder management experience, with demonstrated relationship judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a complex, decentralized organization, building trust and influence across internal and external teams and institutions without direct authority, and reading organizational dynamics accurately.
• Experience coordinating other people’s relationship management — keeping track of who owns which relationship, preparing colleagues for external conversations, and ensuring consistent, non-duplicative follow-through.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in spreadsheets, data collection, management tools, and task management software.
• Passion for climate change solutions and a commitment to supporting innovative entrepreneurs.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience working in or with startups, incubator/accelerator programs, or startup funders.
• Background in climate, sustainability, or a related discipline strongly preferred.
• Experience in a university, foundation, government, or other multi-stakeholder institution, where advancing work depends on coalition-building .
• Experience using new tech tools including AI.
• Experience designing or standing up a new program, cohort, or funding process from scratch.
• Familiarity with project management tools and platforms.
• Demonstrated sound judgment in stakeholder management
• Experience navigating a large ecosystem; and the ability to develop credibility in this type of ecosystem

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date: This position is approved for a (2)-year term (with possibility of 
  renewal/extension) which begins on the person's first day of employment.
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week (overtime eligible)
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
• Other Information:
  • This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote 
    and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects allstaff to be
    onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and departments provide onsite 
    coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be 
    determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate 
    advanced notice.
  • We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role. 
  • A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

 #LI-MM1 

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 056. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.

Salary Grade: 056