Senior Director, International Office

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States; all duties must be performed at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location.

Company

hirify.global Central Administration supports the university, its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities through collaborative administrative services.

What you will do

• Provide strategic, operational, and financial leadership for the Harvard International Office.
• Set the vision and develop long-range plans for services, staffing, space, technology, and service models.
• Lead HIO operations and develop a diverse professional team, including senior leaders, advisors, and administrative staff.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional immigration and employment authorization regulations.
• Partner with legal counsel, university leadership, government agencies, schools, and departments on complex regulatory matters.
• Manage budgets, technology improvements, reporting, cross-university working groups, succession planning, and professional development.

Requirements

• BA/BS degree required.
• 12–15 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, international education, immigration services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with U.S. immigration regulations affecting international students, scholars, and employees, including F-1, J-1, H-1B, O-1, or TN categories.
• Experience managing a diverse professional staff of 20 or more employees in a complex, multidisciplinary organization.
• Strong communication, judgment, analytical, problem-solving, coaching, and change-leadership skills.
• Visa sponsorship is not available. Candidates must meet work-location sponsorship requirements before employment.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in higher education administration, international relations, law, public policy, business administration, or a related field.
• Experience in a large, decentralized research university.
• Experience with external immigration counsel, government agencies, cross-functional working groups, SEVIS-related systems, case-management systems, HR/ERP platforms, analytics, and dashboards.

Culture & Benefits

• 40-hour work week with occasional evening or weekend work for operational needs or urgent regulatory changes.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance beginning on the first day.
• Paid time off, including parental leave, and retirement plans with university contributions.
• Professional development opportunities, including tuition assistance and reimbursement.
• Wellbeing resources, family and caregiver support, commuter benefits, discounts, and campus perks.