Jobs & Fellowships

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences seeks an Events Coordinator to assist in planning and coordinating high-profile events and meetings.  Founded in 1780, The Academy is both an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center convening leaders from across disciplines, professions, and perspectives to address significant challenges.  The Academy is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote these values.

The Academy plans over 100 events per year as part of an annual program of events. These events take place virtually and in person, across the country, and occasionally internationally.  The coordinator will support a portfolio of events primarily related to the Academy's member events, including meetings, workshops, symposia, briefings, roundtable discussions, receptions, and webinars, as well as the Academy’s Annual Induction Weekend. The Events Coordinator will report to the Events Manager, be part of the Membership Engagement team, and will work collaboratively with colleagues across the organization.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences invites qualified candidates to apply for the Directorship in Global Security & International Affairs (GSIA). With guidance from the Chief Program Officer (CPO), the Program Director for GSIA will work with Academy Fellows and senior staff to develop and carry out policy and research initiatives related to the areas within their portfolio. The Program Director has direct responsibility to steward and grow a select portfolio of projects, including our work on a range of nuclear issues and a current project on Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict. They will supervise Academy staff who may manage a subset of programs or initiatives within their designated area.

The Program Director will build a meaningful and robust portfolio of project work focused on socially relevant and interdisciplinary/cross-sector work in Global Security and International Affairs and foster partnerships that build on the Academy’s strengths, visibility, and impact in this area.

The Program Director helps to articulate the intellectual direction of their area(s) in full collaboration with the CPO, program advisory committees, and in consultation with the President and the Academy’s Governance Bodies. The Program Director is expected to articulate the programmatic priorities of the areas and identify and pursue opportunities for strategic partnership with a wide range of institutions to advance scholarship, knowledge, and policy solutions in this domain. The Program Director also works closely with the CPO and other Program Directors to help develop the strategic direction and best practices of the Programs area.

The Program Director upholds and advances the mission and values of the American Academy and strives to maintain excellence in its programmatic work to advance the common good. The Academy is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote these values.  

The position is a hybrid role and will be based at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts or at its offices in Washington, DC. Occasional travel (typically less than 10%) and some nights and weekends are required to support project activities.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is seeking one or more historians/professional writers/journalists to write a book-length history to mark its 250th anniversary in 2030. The goal is to provide a full and critical assessment of the Academy’s activities and membership since its establishment in 1780, within the larger history of the nation it was created to serve. The historian(s) will work closely with the Academy’s Director of Humanities, Arts, and Culture Programs, with guidance from a distinguished committee of historians and other Academy members to produce a book-length study that is intended for a broad audience and publication by a university press.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences invites qualified candidates to apply for the John E. Bryson Directorship in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). With guidance from the Chief Program Officer (CPO), the Program Director for SET will work with Academy Fellows and senior staff to develop and carry out policy and research initiatives related to the areas within their portfolio. The Program Director has direct responsibility to steward and grow a select portfolio of projects including a current Commission on Climate Action. They will supervise Academy staff who may manage a subset of programs or initiatives within their designated area.

The Program Director will build a meaningful and robust portfolio of project work focused on socially relevant and interdisciplinary/cross-sector work on Science, Engineering and Technology and foster partnerships that build on the Academy’s strengths, visibility, and impact in this area.

The Program Director helps to articulate the intellectual direction of their area(s) in full collaboration with the CPO, program advisory committees, and in consultation with the President and the Academy’s Governance Bodies. The Program Director is expected to articulate the programmatic priorities of the areas and identify and pursue opportunities for strategic partnership with a wide range of institutions to advance scholarship, knowledge, and policy solutions in this domain. The Program Director also works closely with the CPO and other Program Directors to help develop the strategic direction and best practices of the Programs area.

The Program Director upholds and advances the mission and values of the American Academy and strives to maintain excellence in its programmatic work to advance the common good. The Academy is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote its values.

The position is a hybrid role and will be based at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts or at its offices in Washington, DC. Occasional travel, nights and weekends may be required.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s prominent learned societies and independent policy research centers headquartered in Cambridge, MA, seeks a Membership Elections Coordinator to provide support for all aspects of the annual nomination and election process. The Academy is a hybrid work environment, and this position would be eligible to work in-person, in a hybrid capacity, or mostly in a remote capacity. The Academy is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote these values.

The nomination and election process is run by the Membership Information and Elections (MIE) department, which processes over 1,000 nominations each year and conducts 40-50 membership election Zoom meetings culminating in the election of the new honorees.

The MIE department also serves as the primary information source regarding Academy members. The Academy membership encompasses over 5,000 Fellows and 600 International Honorary Members and reflects the full range of disciplines and professions: the physical and biological sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, the arts and humanities and leadership, policy and communications.