Jobs & Fellowships

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The American Academy is committed to the diversity of its staff and membership. As a scholarly organization and research center, the Academy recognizes that diversity of thought, class, experience, sex, gender, race, physical or mental ability, age, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation is a value to uphold and is central to the mission and work of the organization. A more pluralistic staff embracing diversity of thought, approach and life experience fosters a more nuanced understanding of contemporary issues facing the nation and the world. Working together in a climate of respect and openness models the civil discourse that is fundamental to the work of the Academy.

For a full job description and the link to apply, please click the job title.

Program Coordinator for Global Security and International Affairs

Working with Academy staff, Academy members, and project committees, the Program Coordinator provides organization and support for the Global Security and International Affairs program area. 

The Global Security and International Affairs program area draws on the expertise of policy-makers, practitioners, and scholars to foster knowledge and inform innovative and more sustainable policies to address crucial issues affecting a global community. Examples of current projects include: Meeting the Challenges of the New Nuclear Age and Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict, and Promoting Dialogue on Arms Control and Disarmament.  Due to COVID-19, the Academy is currently operating remotely through December 31, 2021, after which this position will be based at the House of the Academy in Cambridge, MA. The position will be primarily in-person, with occasional (approx. 1x/week) remote work available.

Cambridge, MA

Director of Facilities

The Facilities Director maintains and oversees the Academy’s grounds, buildings, and equipment to ensure that the workspace is safe and functional. Duties include negotiating contracts with service providers, inspecting facilities to meet safety regulations and coordinating renovations and updates.  The target start date for this position is early December.

Cambridge, MA

Program Associate for Science, Engineering, and Technology

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences seeks a Program Associate within the “Science, Engineering, and Technology” program area to play a central coordinating role in the Academy’s efforts surrounding its new Commission on Accelerating Climate Actions. As the Academy launches this multi-year initiative, the Program Associate will work with Academy staff and commission members to provide logistical, research, and administrative support.

The Academy will form a multi-year Commission dedicated to identifying salient obstacles to action and proposing policy recommendations to address these challenges. Project work will engage actors across and within sectors to identify the key shifts for meaningful action on climate change. Moreover, the Program Associate will actively participate in the program area’s activities and ongoing projects, including Building Resilient and Ethical Supply Chains for a Post-COVID World.

Cambridge, MA

External Relations Officer - Washington, D.C.

The External Relations Officer – Washington, DC will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing outreach and engagement with key audiences in the Washington, DC area, including Congress, the administration and federal agencies, and organizations and professional societies that share Academy goals.

The External Relations Officer – Washington, DC will support and advance the Academy’s efforts to increase visibility and impact with DC stakeholders, including outreach on behalf of projects and commissions from the Academy’s five program areas: American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good; Education and the Development of Knowledge; Global Security and International Affairs; The Humanities, Arts, and Culture; and Science, Engineering, and Technology.

Washington, D.C.

Program Director for Education

With guidance from the Chief Program Officer (CPO), the Program Director for Education 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 and supervises 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 education and especially higher education policy, develop new projects, provide leadership for the Academy’s university affiliates program, 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.  

Due to COVID-19, the Academy is currently operating remotely through July 2021, after which time, the position will be based at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge, MA