Jobs / United States / Harvard University
Assistant Director, Fieldwork Operations
Harvard University · 🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA, US
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 123 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 73 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Harvard University paid sponsored hires in similar roles6 certified filings for “Assistant Professor” (Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary) in MA: $77k–$104k, median $82k. Most were filed at wage level I (100%) — 1 lottery entry, ≈15% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Harvard University
The US Department of Labor certified 123 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 73 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Harvard University →
About the role
Job Summary: Reporting to the Director of International and Field Research, this position provides expert operational support for complex domestic and international fieldwork, including research conducted in high-risk, remote, and limited-infrastructure settings environments. Working in close collaboration with the Director of International and Field Research, this role serves as a divisional resource supporting units within the Science Division, as well as other academic divisions as needed, on fieldwork planning, researcher support, risk mitigation, policy interpretation, compliance coordination, and process improvement to enable safe, compliant, and effective research activities. The Assistant Director role plays a key part in implementing divisional approaches to field-based research and educational activities, while ensuring alignment with institutional policies. Job-Specific Responsibilities: Advise on fieldwork operations and researcher support • Provide operational guidance for complex fieldwork across Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, including projects in high-risk, remote, and limited-communication environments; supports researchers in navigating institutional processes and fieldwork requirements before, during, and after travel or deployment • Advise and assist students, faculty and other researchers, as well as departmental research administrators with coordination of compliant transportation of research materials, including deployment of scientific equipment abroad or in the field, shipping of biological samples, chemicals, or other hazardous materials to/from domestic and international laboratories and field sites • Advise and support students, researchers, and department research administrators in planning or setting up efficient and compliant mechanisms to fund and pay for fieldwork activities or other related fieldwork operations • Develop practical solutions to fieldwork challenges under time-sensitive or ambiguous conditions, balancing researcher needs, operational realities, and institutional requirements • Advise on responses to fieldwork operations adverse incidents and participate in post-incident reviews to identify lessons learned and recommend changes to practices, tools, or training, in coordination with relevant divisional leadership and departmental partners Serve as divisional fieldwork operations subject-matter resource • Serve as a divisional resource for Science Division units, and other academic divisions as needed, on international research and fieldwork operations • Assist in interpreting institutional policies and regulatory requirements, and translating them into clear, practical guidance for diverse field settings (e.g., remote wilderness, marine, rural, and urban environments) • Identify recurring questions, training needs, and gaps in fieldwork practices; and contribute to developing guidance, tools, and resources to support consistent fieldwork practices and strengthen divisional capacity for supporting complex research operations Support fieldwork safety, research compliance, policy alignment, and risk mitigation • Interpret and apply University, School, state, federal, sponsor, and international requirements related to research operations and fieldwork activities; help research teams identify applicable regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., permits, research approvals, data protections) and incorporate them into fieldwork and international research plans • Advise and guide students, faculty and other researchers on matters related to fieldwork or research permits, import/export permits, and other agreements - county-specific/local, USDA, PICs, MATs, MTAs, Nagoya protocols, etc. • Monitor policy changes affecting research operations and