Harvard University
Award Specialist
Cambridge, MA, United States · Senior
No sponsorshipDetected 5 days ago
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odds of building a lasting career here
88Lottery-free
Cap-exempt (no lottery)100
Sponsors year-round90
Entry-level history60
PERM / green-card track50
Fits your clock70
Files H-1B any time — no cap, no lottery. The 2026 weighted-selection rule doesn't touch it, which makes this the strongest structural path for entry-level talent. Pay is often lower, but your odds of staying are dramatically higher.
Lottery odds assume a STEM candidate.
Personalize to your clock →Employer immigration record
from this employer's Department of Labor filings
Green-card filing pattern in this occupation
Context, not a finding about this posting: of this employer's 15 green-card filings in this occupation, 93% were for a worker who already held the job.
States it is exempt from the H-1B cap
In 9 Department of Labor filings, this employer states it is an institution of higher education — one of the statutory grounds for exemption from the H-1B cap. Cap-exempt employers can file year-round without entering the lottery.Employer's own attestation on a Department of Labor wage determination, not a USCIS determination — exemption is decided per petition.
Files H-1B transfers
11 transfer filings in the last year, covering 11 workers. Median labor-condition decision: 7 days. An employer that already files transfers is one that can take over an existing H-1B.
Sourced from Department of Labor LCA, PERM and prevailing-wage disclosure data. Employer matching is by name, so figures may be split across an employer's legal entities. Absence of a filing means none appears in our copy of the data, not that none exists.
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About the role
- Reporting to the Manager of Award Operations, the Award Specialist independently serves as a subject matter expert and institutional resource for complex sponsored award management.
- This role exercises independent judgment in the interpretation of sponsor terms and conditions, determination of appropriate award structures, and resolution of non-routine and high-impact issues.
- The Award Specialist plays a key role in ensuring institutional compliance, mitigating risk, and advancing strategic improvements to the award management processes and systems across the university.
Responsibilities
- Lead the institutional review, interpretation, and acceptance of complex sponsored award notices, including resolving ambiguous or conflicting sponsor terms and determining appropriate award setup structures in alignment with university policy and risk considerations.
- Act as a primary point of contact and problem solver for a broad range of GMAS issues across the award lifecycle, providing guidance and decision-making support across OSP and the university more broadly.
- Accountable for data integrity and quality assurance for sponsored projects in GMAS, participating in the development and evaluation of processes and procedures that drive data quality and efficiency.
- Lead the development, evaluation, and continuous improvement of award management processes, recommending and implementing enhancements that improve efficiency, data integrity, and compliance outcomes.
- Provide expert advisory support to research administration stakeholders, guiding complex decision-making and ensuring alignment with institutional policies, sponsor requirements, and risk tolerance.
- Support for families and caregivers
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required
- Minimum of 5 years' relevant work experience
- Advanced knowledge of sponsored research regulations
Skills
- The following qualifications are strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of federal and non-federal sponsor requirements and procedures (Uniform Guidance, NIH, NSF, DOD, etc.) preferred
- Strong people and relationship management skills
- Detail-oriented and analytical problem-solver
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Positive, collaborative, and team-focused attitude
- 5+ years of experience in sponsored programs, administration or related field preferred
- Additional Information
- Why join Harvard University Central Administration?
- Company Description
Benefits
- 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
- 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.
- Cultivate equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
Company info
- We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.
- We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives.
Equal opportunity
- EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement
- equal opportunity and non-discrimination.
Visa & Work Authorization
- This role exercises independent judgment in the interpretation of sponsor terms and conditions, determination of appropriate award structures, and resolution of non-routine and high-impact issues.
- Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
- Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location.
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This listing is sourced directly from Harvard University's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.