Associate, Culture & Sports

Meridian International Center•Washington, DC

6m•Hybrid

About The Position

Meridian International Center is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Associate, Sports, in its Center for Culture & Sports Diplomacy. This position will primarily support the delivery of the Sports Envoys and Sports Diplomacy On-Demand programs, as well as the Arts and Music Envoy Program. This role provides day-to-day coordination of envoy and participant engagement, including contracting, travel logistics, honoraria processing, and program support for high-profile grants, with multiple individual programs potentially taking place concurrently in multiple regions around the world. Working closely with a Program Officer, the Associate, Culture & Sports will support the execution of a complex portfolio of envoys and partners, ensuring smooth operations and a high-quality experience. This role requires strong administrative and logistical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. This position is contingent upon Meridian successfully securing a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State. This position is located in Washington D.C. and Meridian requires MD, DC, or VA residence for all employees. The position may work partially remotely until further notice.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree
Minimum 0-2 years of related experience
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams is necessary for this role

Nice To Haves

Broad knowledge of program logistics (travel and lodging), prior work with sports professionals (athletes, coaches, managers, etc.) or artists and musicians is a plus
Foreign language ability is helpful, but not required
Experience with Canva, Airtable, Google Workspace, Adobe Acrobat, Zoom, Squarespace, and Salesforce is helpful

Responsibilities

Assist in coordinating envoy engagement, including onboarding, communications, and scheduling
Support preparation and processing of envoy agreements, contracts, and required releases (performance, likeness, minors)
Help maintain clear and consistent communication with envoys before and during the program
Track envoy details and requirements to support program delivery
Support business and grant opportunities, such as U.S. and foreign government and private sector proposals, and network development and management of Meridian’s Sports Diplomacy Leadership Council
Assist with coordination of envoy/participant travel logistics, including flights, hotels, ground transportation, and itineraries
Support preparation and distribution of detailed travel information to envoys and participants
Help monitor travel arrangements and flag issues for resolution
Provide logistical support to ensure smooth arrivals and departures
Assist in processing and tracking envoy/participant honoraria and related payments
Support internal coordination to ensure timely and compliant payments
Maintain organized records of envoy/participant-related expenses and documentation
Provide support for envoy/participant-related activities
Assist with execution of the run-of-show and overall program flow
Support coordination of schedules and envoy/participant movements
Help manage envoy needs, including supplies, hospitality, venues, and scheduling
Assist in troubleshooting logistical issues in real time
Responsible for completing all organizational administrative responsibilities in a timely manner and meeting all organizational administrative deadlines
Other duties as assigned