Diversity Initiatives Program Associate/Associate Director of Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Diversity Initiatives Program Associate/Associate Director of Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program

Job Description

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (“Foundation”), a non-for-profit organization that makes grants in five core program areas (higher education, museums and art conservation, performing arts, conservation and the environment, scholarly communication and information technology), seeks a Diversity Initiatives Program Associate/Associate Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program with a strong interest in and commitment to the advancement of diversity in higher education.

Position Description:

We are seeking a dynamic, creative, and energetic individual with excellent communication, supervisory, human relations, and administrative skills to work in close collaboration with the Diversity Initiatives Program Officer/Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program and other program staff. This position would involve work on all Diversity Initiatives grantmaking activities and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program. The position is detail oriented and requires a strong work ethic, precision, patience, and discretion as well as the ability to conceptualize and strategize at the programmatic level.

The time commitment of the Program Associate/Associate Director would be divided between the MMUF program and general Diversity Initiatives program grantmaking activities. The concerted overlap of responsibilities between the Program Officer/Director and Program Associate/Associate Director will allow them to cover for one another and will imply a relationship of constant and thoroughgoing collaboration.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of the Program Associate/Associate Director will include, but not be limited to:

• Working closely with and reporting to the Program Officer/Director of MMUF, assisting the Program Officer/Director of MMUF with all aspects of managing the program
• Assisting the Program Officer/Director of MMUF in developing strategic goals for the program and other programmatic opportunities in the Diversity Initiatives area
• Traveling to and conducting site visits at Diversity Initiatives grantee institutions
• Representing the Foundation in professional settings, and specifically representing the Program Officer/Director of MMUF at various functions
• Reviewing proposals and assisting with the drafting and editing of materials for grants 
  recommended to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees
• Working closely with the on-campus MMUF coordinators to advise them, in consultation with the Program Officer/Director of MMUF, on the day-to-day management of their programs and respond to questions
• Working with program staff to assist Mellon fellows by answering questions about the fellowship or program processes
• Working closely with colleagues at the Social Science Research Council and Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to coordinate the administration of graduate and post-graduate programs for Mellon fellows
• Providing supervision and guidance, in collaboration with the Program Officer/Director of MMUF, to the program staff in the Diversity Initiatives program area
• Maintaining and updating the MMUF website
• Taking on other assignments as necessary
• Collaborating with staff in other program areas and departments as required to ensure the success of the Diversity Initiatives and MMUF programs

Qualifications:

Relevant skills and experience for the appointee to the Program Associate/Associate Director position include:

• Master’s degree or higher in the humanities, social sciences, education, or other relevant field
• Outstanding interpersonal communication, team-building, and leadership skills
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Outstanding administrative, organizational, and work-flow management skills
• Strong ability to work both collaboratively and independently
• Experience supervising professional staff
• Ability to work with a diverse constituency and on multiple tasks with close attention to detail, at times under deadline pressure
• Ability to read and understand organizational budgets
• Ability to travel for the program as needed and in regular consultation with the Program Officer/Director of MMUF
• Understanding of and commitment to the goals of the Diversity Initiatives program and of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• Experience working in/with higher education institutions and with students
• Active interest in current policy issues in American higher education
• PC computer literacy, particularly capacity to use all functions of Microsoft Office, web content management software, and the ability to learn new applications quickly
• Flexibility and strong work ethic with a commitment to integrity and high quality Pleasant, courteous personality and a sense of humor
• Commitment to a collegial work environment and to collaboration with colleagues in all 
  of the Foundation’s program areas

The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that offers a competitive salary, outstanding benefits, and excellent working conditions.

We will consider each response carefully, but will only contact those individuals we feel are most qualified for the position.

Qualified candidates should submit a resume or curriculum vitae, cover letter, and salary requirements to: HRRecruiting@mellon.org.