Program Coordinator (APT)

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.

AAC&U seeks a seeks a proactive, professional, and organized Program Coordinator to provide programmatic and administrative support for the day-to-day work of Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education (APT), an initiative that promotes the democratic purposes of colleges and universities by furthering public trust in and appreciation for higher education. In collaboration with colleagues in the Office of Leadership and Strategy (OLS), the Program Coordinator supports efforts to grow and sustain an expanding coalition of college and university leaders, business and civil society leaders, and other individual and organizational partners. This position reports to the Associate Director, Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education, and works closely with the Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, the Vice President for Leadership and Strategy, and the OLS Leadership Development Program Coordinator.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with relationship cultivation and partner engagement.
• Assist with project management, including creating timelines, supporting data collection and evaluation activities, and tracking grant deliverables for the APT initiative.
• Coordinate the logistics for virtual and in-person APT events that bring together college and university leaders, other stakeholders, coalition partners, funders, and more.
• Partner with the OLS Leadership Development Program Coordinator to coordinate logistics for joint APT and OLS Leadership Development programming.
  • Support APT communications, including the APT Words Substack, partner outreach, internal coordination with AAC&U marketing and other teams, and the development of reports, social media content, and published commentary that advance public trust in higher education.
• Support the APT Coalition, advisory committee, and working groups through project management and coordination. This work includes, but is not limited to:
  • Coordinating scheduling and logistics for the coalition, advisory committee, and working group meetings
  • Maintaining APT coalition records and contact lists, including partner information, meeting participation, outreach history, and engagement status.
  • Preparing meeting materials and follow-up documentation, such as agendas, briefing notes, minutes, action items, and post-meeting summaries.
  • Tracking coalition engagement and participation, follow up needs and engagements opportunities for review by senior staff.
• Provide administrative support for the APT initiative and related projects, including meeting scheduling, recordkeeping and expense tracking, and responding to information requests.
• Other related duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Two to four years of experience (or combination of experience and graduate education) working in program support, project management, or other relevant experience.
• Interest in higher education in the United States and/or globally; understanding of the current landscape for liberal education a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating projects and supporting coalitions and networks; interest and experience in social innovation initiatives and collective impact a plus.
• Prompt and skilled at multitasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong administrative and project management skills, including attention to detail.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills; experience with public-facing writing (op-eds, newsletters, social media) a plus.
• Familiarity and proficiency with using the Microsoft Office Suite, file sharing platforms (Box), project management software (Monday, Basecamp), and virtual communications platforms (Zoom, Teams).
• Ability and willingness to travel to conferences and events.

Please submit a resume, cover letter describing relevant work and educational experience, a list of three references, and salary requirements to AAC&U, Box HR, 1818 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, or to openings@aacu.org. Review of applications will begin on September 18, 2026.

This is a remote/hybrid position, with a slight preference for candidates based in Washington, D.C. A reasonable rate of compensation for this position is between $65,000-$70,000.

AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and nondiscrimination laws.