Community Engagement, Associate

American Institute of Physics Incorporated•College Park, MD

2d•$66,660 - $73,326•Hybrid

About The Position

AIP advances the success of a community of more than 30 independent scientific organizations, supporting hundreds of thousands of professionals across many scientific and engineering disciplines. AIP creates shared spaces where individual action becomes collective impact. The Community Engagement Associate serves as a critical link between the Society of Physics Students (SPS), Sigma Pi Sigma, external stakeholders, and cross-functional teams. This role requires exceptional project management, event planning, communication, and relationship-building skills to deliver programs that advance undergraduate physics education and engagement. The Associate partners with the SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma Director and Associate Director to plan, execute, evaluate, and improve programs. They manage multiple complex projects, contribute to strategic planning, develop student and alumni engagement initiatives, oversee program communications, and use data to evaluate effectiveness. A key responsibility is planning and executing the biennial SPS Congress, a national event for approximately 1,300 participants, involving comprehensive project planning, logistics, budget oversight, and onsite management. The Associate translates strategic priorities into actionable plans, coordinates stakeholders, manages risks, and builds strong relationships with volunteers, faculty, students, member societies, industry partners, and external organizations. This role collaborates extensively to enhance undergraduate physics education, student and alumni engagement, professional development, and the future physical sciences workforce.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree is required
3-4 years of experience in developing and leading student programs (STEM preferred) in a higher education or non-profit management environment.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects simultaneously while balancing competing priorities and deadlines
Experience using project management tools (Monday.com), timelines, and tracking systems to successfully deliver complex initiatives.
Advanced proficiency in Google and MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills with demonstrated experience creating professional communications, reports, presentations, digital content, and stakeholder messaging.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, which includes scheduling, record keeping and office management skills.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with volunteers, students, faculty, member societies, leadership, sponsors, vendors, and partners while representing the organization with professionalism and diplomacy.
Self-starter, of high integrity, able to adhere to governance and confidentiality, and to function effectively with minimal supervision.
Ability to anticipate challenges, independently solve problems, and make sound decisions in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
Ability to travel and work outside of normal business hours is required.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree is preferred
Background or experience working within scientific, higher education, or professional association environments preferred.
5+ years of association/nonprofit experience or higher education experience preferred, with a demonstrated interest in science education and/or the physical sciences.
Experience with data visualization and data management systems preferred.
Experience in education, databases, and/or academia is desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, execution, monitoring, and continuous improvement of multiple concurrent programs and strategic initiatives supporting SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Develop, monitor, and manage annual budget(s).
Develop detailed project plans, timelines, implementation strategies, success metrics, and risk mitigation plans to ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
Partner with SPS Director and Associate Director to generate and promote key policy development and long-range planning for the division.
Contribute to development and sponsorship opportunities alongside the AIP foundation, and lead grant writing and grant development for new and existing programs.
Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, timelines, meeting notes, action items, status reports, and post-project evaluations.
Coordinate cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure projects remain on schedule, within scope, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Work with SPS Director and Associate Director to further develop and implement projects that address the undergraduate physics experience.
Design, manage, and evaluate innovative programs and initiatives that enhance the undergraduate physics experience and support student success.
Oversee member engagement initiatives and membership data to identify trends, improve engagement, and inform strategic decisions.
Manage efforts related to serving the membership of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Implement strategies for engaging alumni members of Sigma Pi Sigma.
Assist the Director with support of the SPS Council and Executive Committee, SPS chapters, physics departments, Member Societies, and the public.
Represent AIP, SPS, and Sigma Pi Sigma professionally at national meetings, conferences, campus visits, and other events while serving as an ambassador for undergraduate physics education.
Collaborate with content, communications, and engagement teams to develop compelling event experiences, promotional materials, presentations, and participant communications.
Serve as the primary project manager for the SPS Congress, overseeing comprehensive event planning for approximately 1,300 participants. Responsibilities include project planning, timeline development, budget tracking, venue coordination, vendor management, volunteer leadership, speaker logistics, sponsor coordination, registration oversight, communications, risk management, onsite operations, problem resolution, and post-event evaluation.
Develop engaging communications, marketing materials, newsletters, presentations, website content, and digital resources promoting SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma programs.
Create and manage program content across multiple communication channels while ensuring messaging aligns with organizational goals and brand standards.
Collaborate with communications, marketing, and digital teams to increase awareness and participation in programs and events.
Produce reports, presentations, and other materials highlighting program outcomes and impact for internal and external audiences.