Hire Talent
Leadership Fellows
What is the Leadership Fellows Program?
The Leadership Fellows program offers nonprofit and public-sector organizations the opportunity to leverage the experience, energy, and analytical skills of MBAs for one year. Fellows apply their expertise to roles where they produce immediate results and build long-term capacity within the organization while gaining exposure to senior leaders within the sector.
HBS Investment
- Reviews proposals from interested organizations and works with qualifying organizations to create a mutually beneficial Fellowship position.
- Provides a framework and logistics for the interviewing and hiring process.
- Awards $55,000 toward the Fellow’s annualized salary of $110,000 in addition to a $5,000 upfront relocation benefit to each incoming Fellow.
- Support Fellows with two professional development days on the HBS campus, for increased understanding of the sector, ability to have impact in the Fellowship year, and to explore careers beyond the year. (HBS covers travel and accommodations for these sessions.)
Organization Investment
- Creates a Leadership Fellow position that meets the program goals of access, impact and leadership. Fellows will have the opportunity to gain exposure and insight to work being done at the highest levels of the organization as a function of the work assigned.
- Follows all HBS Recruiting Policies in engaging with students and through the candidate selection and interview process.
- Ensures sufficient resources to support the experience of an MBA.
- Commit to pay $55,000 toward the Fellow’s annualized salary plus the costs associated with providing standard benefits offered to full-time employees of the organization, including health insurance.
Program Components
- Access – Meaningful engagement with senior leaders in the organization and in the field via a direct reporting relationship to the CEO or another senior executive along with regular meetings with the CEO.
- Impact – Ability to work on and influence projects of key strategic importance to the organization with the potential to help build organizational capacity.
- Leadership – An experience that involves management and leadership development activities distinct from a full-time position and tailored to advancing post-MBA skill sets for the benefit of the Fellow and the organization.
Next Steps
- First, review the Leadership Fellows Proposal Guide to determine if your organization and the role are fit with the program. Note: the program will be accepting a limited number of applications from early-stage organizations during the Spring 2022 application cycle. Additional information for these organizations can be found here.
- If your organization and role align with the guidelines set forth by the program, review the Sample Proposal as a guide for what the program is looking for in an excellent proposal.
- Download the 2022-23 HBS Leadership Fellows Proposal, review, and develop a position that will align with organization and program goals.
- Contact the HBS Leadership Fellows Program with any questions.
Recruiting Process
Key Dates for Fall 2021:
- September 10, 2021 12pm ET: organization application deadline
- September 20, 2021: organizations selected by HBS
- Last week of October: virtual first-round interviews
Key Dates for Spring 2022:
- January 19, 2022: organization application deadline
- January 31, 2022: organizations selected by HBS
- 2nd week of March: first-round interviews
Recruiting Partners
Below is a sample of Leadership Fellows recruiting partners from 2001 through 2020. View a full list of recruiting partners and past Fellows.
ACLU | City of San Jose Mayor’s Office | Sesame Workshop |
American Ballet Theatre | Harlem Children’s Zone | Social Finance, Inc |
Boston Children’s Hospital | Juilliard School | Teach For America |
BRAC USA | Kresge Foundation | U.S. Department of Education |
City of Boston Mayor’s Office | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) | Whitney Museum |
Code for America | Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research | World Wildlife Fund |
Questions? Email lfp@hbs.edu.