AAAS has an exciting opportunity for a Program Associate to join our Immersive Fellowships team in Washington, DC! Immersive Fellowships offers two professional development experiences for scientists: the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (MMF) and the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF).

As the Program Associate, you will provide executive-level support to senior leadership, with broad operations-level, event logistics, and administrative management support to the immersive fellowship programs. The fellowship program staff work on several teams: Systems, Finance, Programs, Professional Development, Outreach/Engagement/Communications, and MMF. You will provide support to all teams, but especially Professional Development, Finance, and where there are intersections amongst teams, e.g. contracts, events, and alumni engagement. The Program Associate will be expected to pivot and prioritize as teams experience surges of activity throughout the year or as the program capitalizes on opportunities for growth and evolution.

What You'll Do

Executive Support

• Manage calendar and contacts, schedule and organizes meetings on behalf of senior leadership.
• Research contacts, develop informational materials, arrange meetings, draft and edit communications and conduct follow-up as requested.
• Represent senior leadership with internal and external communities as needed.
• Receive, evaluate, and resolve/alert senior leadership to internal and external matters affecting the fellowship programs.

Event Support

• Manage logistical planning, budgets, and execution of in-person, virtual, and hybrid meetings, workshops, and events. This may include, but is not limited to:
• Developing and distributing agendas and schedules.
• Venue selection, booking, and coordinating A/V elements.
• Arranging travel and accommodations, managing catering, preparing, and distributing invitations and briefings.
• General speaker and facilitator support, and procuring materials and supplies.
• Manage multiple events simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adhering to budget limitations.
• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams to coordinate efforts and resolve issues.
• Evaluate event success through attendee feedback, metrics analysis and post-event surveys. Identify trends and consolidate information in formatted reports as needed.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, senior leadership, and other interested parties to refine curriculum content and delivery methods.

Administrative Support

• Generate master service agreements, independent contract, vendor, and addendum contracts and agreements as necessary.
• Support requests for proposals and review processes, managing communication with internal and external parties and documenting all aspects of the review process.
• Work with and support vendors/contractors, STPF Finance, AAAS Finance, and the AAAS Office of Meetings and Special Events through all stages in the contracting process, tracking deliverables and resolving contractual issues as needed. Supports positive relationships and clear communications with all parties.

Operations Support

• Support the execution of Senior Leadership, All-Staff, and Fellowship Advisory Committee (FAC) meetings and related activities, including reviewing and distributing minutes and tracking action-items.
• Develop and enhance policies and procedures documentation and training materials, including staff onboarding, multimedia visual aids, and other educational materials and maintain digital filing system. Facilitate input across teams to develop, update, publish, and communicate policies and administrative procedures.
• Responds to whole program staff and intra-team needs as activity surges and growth opportunities demand additional capacity.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree with at least two years of directly related progressively responsible experience in executive, operations, and administrative support and/or project management and event planning. A demonstrated interest in science and/or policy and commitment to furthering the missions of AAAS, STPF, and MMF is also essential.
• Demonstrated skills in administrative and program-related duties; operations and project management; planning, organizing, and coordinating special events; managing schedules, travel, and logistics; processing reimbursements and creating and maintaining expense spreadsheets; facilitating stakeholder and donor relations; managing data and records. Attention to detail is key.
• Must be proficient conducting Internet research and using Microsoft Office, Zoom, and utilizing databases. Experience with or willingness to learn STPF and MMF technology systems, including Salesforce, Onit, Freshdesk, FormAssembly, and Asana to carry out essential functions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and writing, editing and proofreading abilities are essential.
• Must have ability to work with individuals from different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds and to interact with stakeholders in academia and government, foundation, corporate, and non-profit sectors. Candidate must display professional business etiquette; capacity for diplomacy, discretion and to maintain confidentiality.
• Opportunity to advance outreach skills, to prepare and make public presentations, learn how to facilitate group processes, and convey technical or policy details to general audiences.
• Essential for candidate to be proactive in anticipating needs, conflicts, and opportunities; flexible and resourceful; ability to set priorities for multiple projects, meet multiple deadlines under pressure, and work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the scientific community, working with Ph.D. level professionals, or a degree in science and/or policy are a plus.
• Prior experience in nonprofit settings, with government funded programs, with fellowships or alumni relations are a plus.

Application Process

Submit a resume and cover letter outlining qualifications and interest in the position by June 2, 2024. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.

The anticipated initial rate of compensation for this position is $60,000 - $75,000 per year. AAAS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, each subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of AAAS and will be based on a variety of factors, including years of experience, depth of experience, and other relevant factors. AAAS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

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The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AAAS from a third party, such as an agency, including unsolicited resumes sent to an AAAS mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to AAAS employees, or to the AAAS resume database will be considered AAAS property. Verbal or written communications from any employee of AAAS shall not be considered binding obligations. AAAS Human Resources is the only AAAS representative authorized by AAAS enter into any employment agreements with any third party. AAAS will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

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