Junior Research Scientist / Program Assistant, Membership & Outreach

Description

Position Title: Junior Research Scientist / Program Assistant, Membership & Outreach 

Title of Supervisors: Manager, Outreach and University Relations; Executive Director

NYU Unit: Provost / Scholars at Risk Network

 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:  Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting higher education values worldwide. By arranging temporary academic positions at member universities, Scholars at Risk offers safety to scholars facing grave threats, enabling them to continue their important work. Scholars at Risk also provides advisory services for scholars and hosts, campaigns for scholars who are imprisoned or silenced in their home countries, monitoring of attacks on higher education communities worldwide, and leadership in deploying new tools and strategies for promoting academic freedom and improving respect for university values everywhere. Information at www.scholarsatrisk.org

 

JOB DESCRIPTION: Scholars at Risk is seeking a highly-organized, proactive, and detail-oriented individual to join the Scholars at Risk team as a Junior Research Scientist/Program Assistant for Membership & Outreach. The Program Assistant plays a key role within the SAR’s membership team and will work to bolster institutional membership in the SAR network. The Program Assistant should develop fluency in all areas of SAR’s work in order to develop and lead strategies for identifying and recruiting prospective institutional network members, including universities, academic associations, consortiums and partner neworks. The position requires strong research and writing skills, initiative, persistence, and timely and professional communication, including with members, prospective members, partners, clients, SAR and NYU staff, and the public. The Program Assistant will be encouraged to handle increasing responsibility for these and other activities as appropriate. The position reports to the SAR Executive Director and Director of Membership. 

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Growth of the SAR Network through identification and recruitment of universities, colleges, academic associations, and partner networks (70%)

• Develop independent responsibility for membership outreach campaigns targeting prospective network members through letters, email, calls and events; work closely with national SAR section leaders and SAR staff teams to research, design, implement, and track campaigns;
• Develop fluency, under the guidance of supervisors, in responding to outside queries including from prospective members;
• Research appropriate opportunities and audiences to deliver presentations on SAR network opportunities; 
• Research, draft and circulate materials for prospective members including program updates, opportunities for engagement, event notifications, website content, etc.;   
• Handle increasing responsibility for the above and other membership and outreach  related activities as appropriate.

 

Membership retention (30%)

• Develop annual appreciation campaigns for members and work with national SAR sections on country level recognition campaigns;
• Assist membership team in renewing current and inactive memberships through researching and nurturing relationships with key institutional leadership; 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: This is a full-time, at-will position on an open-ended term, subject to program priorities, exemplary performance and availability of funds. In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $48,000-$54,000, comparable to similar positions at other peer organizations in the NGO/human rights field. Scholars at Risk is an independent not-for-profit corporation hosted at New York University (NYU). SAR staff are NYU employees seconded to SAR and as such are eligible for NYU employee benefits, including generous vacation leave and holidays; medical, dental, vision and life insurance options; and retirement benefits (all subject to terms established by NYU as described at https://www.nyu.edu/employees/benefit/full-time/professional-research-staff.html). NYU considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer