Job Details
Additional Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor's degree and experience in higher education preferred
- Attention to detail and consistency in professional responsibilities
- Ability to handle confidential student data securely and with discretion
- Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
- Strong customer service orientation, interpersonal skills, solid technical skills, flexibility, and the ability to work as part of a team are essential
- Demonstrable oral and written communication skills
- Strong critical reading and thinking skills with a demonstrated ability to parse complex correspondences from various constituents and understand the crux of a question.
- Must be proficient with desktop applications, data processing, and data entry
Additional Information- We will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
- A cover letter is highly encouraged for consideration.
- All formal offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.
Position Description Reporting to the Assistant Registrar for Operations, Reporting, and Compliance, the Records Specialist primarily supports daily operations related to official transcripts, enrollment and degree verifications, loan deferments, and general record inquiries. Assists with student and third-party inquiries related to student record requests, enrollment verification and time status, and academic policies. Researches historic academic catalog and program record requests and coordinates record retrieval from and return to appropriate university archive. Will cross train and assist in other essential Registrar's Office duties.
Duties:
- Oversees daily transcript release operations, processes various education verifications, loan deferment requests, and student-initiated record releases, and makes corrections to various student information systems as needed.
- Acts as information source for students and staff related to academic record and enrollment verification inquiries. Manages frontline inquiries with students and third parties related to transcript requests, record releases, and various educational verifications.
- Maintains, updates, and distributes various statistical reports related to area of responsibilities; reviews and updates frontline procedural documentation.
- Assists in background verifications and legal requests for student information and academic program records.
- Partnering with peers around Harvard University, assists in the research and release of historic records as well as the collection and return of archived records to the appropriate retention storage.
- Crosstrains with other frontline Registrar's Office teams and supports related duties; assists with academic records maintenance projects as needed.
EEO Statement We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Working Conditions The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.
Job Summary Serves as the initial contact person for inquiries (student, 3rd party, faculty) to the Academic Services Office- a fast-paced, high-volume and student facing subset of the Harvard Division of Continuing Education's Registrar's Office
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
Benefits We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website ( to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:
- Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
- Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
- Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
- Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
- Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
- Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
- Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
- Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.
Work Format Details This position will be based in Cambridge, MA. Hybrid workplace models in place at DCE with a minimum of 2 days per week on campus. DCE may adjust these as necessary or appropriate.
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). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.
About Us The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) comprises four academic units serving about 30,000 domestic and international students annually, which allow Harvard to meet the learning needs of intellectually curious and highly motivated students from high school through retirement. Established in 1910, the Harvard Extension School (HES) offers access to Harvard faculty for a diverse community of adult learners, enrolling about 15,000 students. HES offers over 1,000 open enrollment courses - 85 percent of which are accessible online - and provides flexibility through noncredit, undergraduate, and graduate courses, including degrees, certificates, and a premedical program. The Harvard Summer School, founded in 1871, offers around 450 credit and noncredit courses both on the Harvard Campus and online, catering to 10,000 high school, college, and adult learners. Additionally, it offers more than 15 international study abroad programs, hosting up to 300 students each summer. Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development delivers over 140 noncredit programs annually, reaching more than 3,600 participants through online platforms and its executive development center in Cambridge. The Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement offers about 140 peer-taught courses to approximately 550 active members.