Research Operations Manager, Physical Sciences

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The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636) as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs, Harvard Athletics and the Division of Continuing Education. The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines.

Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity and shared commitment to knowledge and truth that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Rowland Institute at Harvard seek a Research Operations Manager for Physical Sciences to join a highly collaborative, multi‑disciplinary research community pushing the boundaries of experimental science. Reporting to the Executive Director of the Rowland Institute, the physical sciences Research Operations Manager will combine technical and experimental support, design and prototyping, with safety and research operations to enable cutting‑edge experimental science across physics, engineering, and materials research.

Based full‑time in the newly renovated 60 Oxford Street facility in Cambridge, MA, this individual will manage and continually improve shared physical sciences laboratories and fabrication spaces, including a cleanroom, chemistry room, and shared experimental lab spaces. The successful candidate will maintain and operate a diverse suite of advanced scientific instrumentation (e.g., microscopy, spectroscopy, and vacuum systems); operate and modify custom experimental apparatus;

and partner with Rowland Fellows and their research groups to translate ambitious ideas into reliable experimental setups.

In addition to overseeing shared facilities, the Research Operations Manager will serve as the Institute’s primary Laboratory Safety Officer (LSO) for the physical sciences, working with Harvard Environmental Health & Safety to promote a strong culture of safety, compliance, and best practices. This role is ideal for a resourceful, technically curious, and self‑directed professional who enjoys building things, solving practical problems, partnering with researchers on equipment and processes, and playing a central role in a world‑class experimental research environment.

• Assist Rowland Fellows in evaluating and purchasing new equipment; liaise with vendors to negotiate, procure, and install new equipment.
• Manage shared physical science fabrication and research equipment at the Rowland Institute, including inventory, service contracts, and usage scheduling.
• Maintain equipment through repairing and preventive maintenance, and coordination with vendors when necessary.
• Provide training to researchers on scientific instrument best practices, usage, and safety. Maintain SOPs for these instruments.
• Organize and maintain shared spaces (chemistry room, cleanroom, and general physical sciences labs).
• Assist Executive Director with laboratory space design and transitions, including commissioning and decommissioning of research spaces.

• Assist in the design, planning and overseeing of instrumentation and equipment fabrication and modification projects in collaboration with Fellows and their researchers.
• Collaborate with researchers on the design of research tools by reviewing design feasibility, fabrication methods, and materials selection.

• Serve as an accessible resource and potential collaborator for experimental design, equipment expertise, and troubleshooting design and…