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Program Assistant

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a not-for-profit organization devoted to the advancement of social science research and scholarship, seeks a Program Assistant for the SSRC Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program.

The Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program aims to diversify the faculties, in core fields within the arts and sciences, at colleges and universities by providing support for African American, Latino, and Native American scholars and others with a demonstrated commitment to this goal. To that end, the Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program holds several events each year for its Fellows, as well as providing annual grant opportunities. For more information about the Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program, please visit our website: http://mellonmays.ssrc.org

The Program Assistant will work with the Program Director and program staff to organize, administer and implement these events in addition to the annual grants. This position will require energy, enthusiasm, strong interpersonal, organizational and problem solving skills as well as creativity, innovation and flexibility. In addition, the ideal candidate must be able to travel domestically and on occasion internationally. The Program Assistant will provide overall administrative support for the intellectual vision of the program.

Duties:

  • Serve as the first point of contact for Mellon Mays Fellows, faculty advisors, and representatives of partner institutions and organizations.
  • Respond to requests for information by phone and email.
  • Sort and distribute incoming regular mail.
  • Assist the Program Director and other staff in the planning and implementation of seminars, workshops, and conferences.
  • Provide both on-site and off-site support for program events including supervising interns and temps.
  • Represent the Program in internal and external meetings, briefings and conferences; take notes, and present information to groups as needed.
  • Manage fellowship database and provide administrative support for application review process.
  • Oversee payment processing for fellows and vendors.
  • Perform site visits at affiliated colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad.


Qualifications


  • BA in one of the social science or humanistic disciplines.
  • Superior organizational skills with attention to detail.
  • Ability to multi-task and prioritize daily activities to meet competing deadlines.
  • Experience with website maintenance.
  • Experience in maintaining expense accounts and budgeting.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including solid presentation skills.
  • High level of proficiency in all MS Office applications as well as database and internet applications.
  • Ability to travel extensively in the U.S. and abroad.


Contact Details


Contact:
Jen Blackman
Telephone:
212-377-2700
Email:
applications@ssrc.org

Application Instructions


Candidates must send a detailed letter of application, resume, a 2-3 page writing sample and three references to:

Applications@ssrc.org – please indicate “Mellon Mays Program Assistant” in the subject line.