Program Coordinator

ACLS Mission and Overview

Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $146 million endowment and $38 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for its central role in the twenty-first century.

Overview of Department

The President’s Office is comprised of the President, the Executive Assistant to the President, the Chief of Staff, the Director of Member Relations and Governance, and the Program Officer for Higher Education. As ACLS enters its second century and higher education institutions are facing a critical moment in their responses to racial inequity, the leadership aims to enhance ACLS’s unique role at the intersection of its constituencies (particularly the 75 learned societies, the diverse community of emerging scholars embarking on careers inside and outside the academy, and humanistic researchers working around the world) to influence, lead, and support initiatives addressing these challenges. This is a new position, developed at an important and exciting moment for ACLS that helps to support ACLS’ movement in new directions, particularly in expanding our reach and programming beyond our flagship fellowship programs.

Job Summary

The Program Coordinator assists with all aspects of program administration and implementation of strategic initiatives to enhance ACLS’s ability to serve our various constituencies, especially our member societies, and advance scholarship in new directions, with a focus on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social and racial justice. This role supports the President’s Office in organizing projects connected with current and future initiatives and implementing new programming. As ACLS extends its reach, that work may include facilitating convenings to bridge stakeholders in our ecosystem; supporting its member societies in their own IDEA efforts; and supporting new outreach efforts to connect with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and scholars underrepresented in academia.

The Program Coordinator will also support the President’s Office in day-to-day operations, including serving as the first point of contact with program partners and supporting outreach and network-building opportunities. Please note that the duration of this position is limited to 3 years.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Societies’ support

• Organize and coordinate logistics for convenings and workshops on- and off-site, involving our various constituencies, including learned society directors and delegates, higher education leaders, faculty, fellows, and students
• Produce materials for use during convenings, workshops and other public events involving our various constituencies, including learned society directors and delegates, higher education leaders, and faculty and help manage those events
• Proofread and contribute to the drafting of website materials, and compile information to be included in reports to funders and grant applications
• Facilitate the implementation of new initiatives that are responsive to urgent DEI issues in the humanities and social sciences, and other challenges like academic publishing, graduate career diversity, scholarly innovation, and shifts in doctoral education
• Coordinate the administration of record-keeping and database management as ACLS expands its reach of ACLS to new groups, including MSIs and scholars underrepresented in academia
• Conduct occasional research for the team on trends in scholarship and institutional strategy, especially issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in the humanities and social science
• Coordinate activities with other ACLS departments as necessary, including collaborating with web and information systems on technical projects and with communications on outreach

Scholar support

• Organize and coordinate logistics for workshops and cohort-building activities on- and off-site for current and past fellows
• Support and communicate with applicants, fellows, and reviewers, e.g., to track candidate nominations, reviewer invitations, gather fellows’ reports, and troubleshoot basic technical difficulties with web portals
• Carry out administrative duties, including answering general telephone and email inquiries, and greeting and directing program-related visitors

Qualifications:

1.      Bachelor’s degree in a field of the humanities or related social sciences

2.      2-4 years previous work experience

3.      Keen organizational skills and attention to detail

4.      Ability to ask questions, multi-task and prioritize assignments in a deadline-driven environment

5.      Keen understanding and interest in addressing diversity, equity and inclusion concepts and issues especially in higher education

6.      Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication to varied audiences