Program Associate, Mellon Mays Programs

American Council of Learned Societies•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

ACLS (American Council of Learned Societies) is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations, representing scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. ACLS supports scholarship and advocates for its role in society. The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program and Mellon Mays Graduate and Professional Initiatives partner with colleges and universities to identify and support promising students, helping them become distinguished scholars and professionals through mentoring, research support, and cohort building. The Mellon Mays staff at ACLS are responsible for coordinating annual grantmaking, programming, and reporting from 50 institutions in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship network, developing outreach strategies for fellows, designing programming responsive to graduate education and alumni needs, and documenting the program's history. This role supports the Mellon Mays Programs within the Intentional Design for an Equitable Academy (IDEA) unit, reporting to the Director of Mellon Mays Operations and Senior Program Officer. The Program Associate will handle administrative aspects, including planning and organizing activities, maintaining and analyzing data, and researching new programming. This role serves as a primary point of contact for program partners and communicates with fellows on various subjects.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a field of the humanities or related social sciences
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Keen organizational skills, with strong attention to detail
Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments in a deadline-driven environment
Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively
Effective interpersonal skills
Willingness to try new tasks and learn skills on the job
Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Word, Outlook and Excel
Reliability, humility, and a willingness to pitch in when necessary
Must be willing and able to travel to multi-day events within the US 2-3 times a year, and to staff infrequent after-hour and weekend events
Must live within commuting distance of New York City

Nice To Haves

Experience with databases and event planning preferred
An interest in the humanities, philanthropy, and higher education
Some experience in an administrative capacity or office environment preferred

Responsibilities

Assist with maintaining program-related database records and ACLS web-based portals, including those associated with applications, fellows, and colleges and universities.
Manage program calendar and track deadlines using project management software.
Process grant applications, track and analyze grant spending, and process payments for program-related activities.
Create and maintain records of convenings, including drafting and circulating meeting summaries and minutes of discussions.
Monitor program inbox and communicate with applicants, fellows, and advisory committee members regarding calls for applications, eligibility inquiries, program announcements, and logistics.
Oversee web-based tools (Zoom, Padlet, Calendly) necessary for online workshops and meetings.
Oversee annual updates to and day-to-day functionality of application system, including web portal-database interfaces and data imports, and creation and refinement of award materials and forms for recipients.
Assist events staff with organizing logistics for workshops and meetings on- and off-site and liaise with vendors for event needs, such as transport and promotional materials.
Coordinate activities with other ACLS departments as necessary, including collaborating with web and information systems on technical projects and with communications on outreach.
Produce materials for use during convenings, proofread and contribute to the drafting of website materials, and compile information to be included in reports to funders and grant applications.
Other duties as assigned.