Career Opportunity: Program Associate, Pew Fellowships

The Center seeks candidates for a Program Associate for Pew Fellowships. This is an administrative assistant position. Facilitate the work of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage's Fellowships program by providing day-to-day administrative, programmatic and logistical support, ensuring effective and efficient operations. As the provider of all administrative support for the assigned program, the role is a critical interface between the program and multiple internal and external parties. The job requires the use of technology skills to keep program-related web content and other technology-related needs satisfied. This role is integral to the Center, and its contributions are vital to our success.

You'll work closely with the Program Director in all phases of program operations. Reporting directly to the Director, you'll contribute to all phases of program implementation, including:

Administration

Regularly process applications, contracts, reports, W-9s, etc. from applicants, grantees, and consultants. Manage the Program's schedule grantee payments, and work with the Center's Senior Administrative Associate who will process check requests. Periodically monitor to ensure checks go out properly and on time. Assist in reviewing incoming grant applications for errors and omissions and correspond with applicants regarding errors. Field questions from applicants and prospective applicants about the application guidelines and processes. Maintain the program's archives and libraries, managing the accessioning and deaccessioning of materials under the direction of program staff. Monitor and track press coverage of the program and supply such information as requested to the Center's Communications staff.

Working closely with the Center's Meeting and Event Planner, manage program calendars, ensuring efficient and realistic production schedules for professional development symposia, seminars, consultancies, and trips; program guidelines; and grant panels. Keep Director informed of production schedules to ensure deadlines are met and necessary scheduling adjustments made. Help Director identify when temporary help is necessary on elements that would normally be handled within the program and not by other Center resources. Receive, sort, open, and distribute all incoming mail and faxes for program; ensure that outgoing mail and express packages are handled appropriately. Maintain Center-wide contact database that links critical information about applicants, grantees and other constituents to the Center's operations, capacity-building programs, media coverage, etc. Work cooperatively with the database administrator to keep the portions of the database that pertain to the program both accurate and current, performing data entry.

External Communication

Ensure that the Program's mailing lists are kept up-to-date, and that the appropriate persons and organizations are receiving materials. As requested by the Program Director, write, transcribe and manage email and written correspondence to grantees and consultants, including memos, agendas, invitations, requests, reminders and e-newsletters, etc. As requested by Program Director, generate turndown and acceptance letters. Field general programmatic inquiries that come from website visitors.

Coordinate with Communications staff on monthly tracking of grantee news and media coverage, providing information for Center website and other communications materials. After Program events, create and disseminate accurate attendee contact information sheets and surveys.

Logistics

Serve as the program's primary point-person for the annual adjudication panel. Liaise with the Center staff to update online grant application and review tool associated with the annual Grant panels. Will sometimes include oversight of third party vendors, but it is intended that such vendor management will be handled primarily by other Center staff. During the panel, operate A/V equipment, including but not limited to portable computers containing digital audio and video files and interface devices. Operate equipment for audio and/or video recording of panel deliberations. Liaise with the Meeting and Event Planner to ensure optimal logistical arrangements (securing meeting rooms, catering, restaurant reservations, A/V equipment) for all program meetings, capacity-building trips and events, consultancies, and the annual Grant panel. As needed, assist Meeting and Event Planner in booking travel for these events. Handle the scheduling of routine appointments for Program Director.

Special Assignments and Projects

Upon request of the assigned Director, perform special communications, administrative or logistical functions using one's specific skills, knowledge, expertise and talent. Such work may include, but is not limited to, various types of qualitative research; quantitative analysis.

Other

Carry out other such duties as may be assigned or requested. Contribute to Center activities as required. Actively participate as a member of the Center's community.

Education/Experience

The ideal candidate would hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and have four years of administrative (administrative assistant, executive assistant or paralegal) work experience. However, at least six years of strong administrative experience without a degree would also be acceptable. Editorial and not-for-profit experiences are preferred, along with an interest in and understanding of the nature of cultural practice

Baseline Knowledge & Skills

Must have knowledge of general office practices and procedures and be a systematic thinker with proven success in creating and maintaining efficient administrative processes. The job requires strong organizational skills and an aptitude and a liking for administrative work. High proficiency in the use of software and technology is expected, including fluency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word) and Salesforce. Good word processing skills are important as is fluency in web content management systems. Excellent written and oral communication skills are vital, including meticulous message-taking; solid composition, proofreading, and editing skills; grammatical correctness; style appropriateness; formatting consistency; and attention to overall completeness of documents and web content.

Effective interpersonal skills are needed to successfully interact with a variety of people, including colleagues in the University, at The Pew Trusts, the arts community (consultants, grant recipients, applicants), and the general public with diverse cultures and backgrounds. Skill in complex scheduling, travel and event planning is required. Some familiarity with non-profit and university administrative functions is preferred.

Abilities

Ability to work independently and as member of multiple teams. Ability to prioritize and spontaneously reprioritize multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail. Ability to balance and satisfy competing deadlines and personalities, maintaining professionalism under pressure and in sensitive situations. Ability to tolerate paperwork and respect administrative procedures while remaining flexible and resilient. Respect for the needs and issues of non-profit organizations and independent artists is required, while clearly understanding the appropriate boundaries between Center staff and its constituents. Ability to work closely with a supervisor. Ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center's unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts. Ability to maintain detailed records in computerized and paper record keeping and filing systems. Ability to know when to ask questions and when to take initiative. Ability to articulate ideas, both verbally and in writing.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the job responsibilities, duties, skill, or working conditions. In addition, this document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.

TO APPLY: Interested, qualified applicants should submit a letter of application/cover letter, resume and three writing samples via email to jobs@uarts.edu. The Center is administered through the University of the Arts. Please ensure job title is in the Subject line.

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.