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.

Director of Individual and Planned Giving

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Individual and Planned Giving plays a significant role in meeting the goal of increasing the number of major and planned gifts for the Academy.  A newly-envisioned role, the Director will bear primary responsibility for developing a new planned giving program within an established development department.  This will include setting program goals and objectives, developing working relationships with relevant planned giving organizations, and integrating a planned giving effort with the existing goals and business practices of the Academy.  The Director will cultivate a portfolio of planned gift prospects, and help to develop strategies for presidential development work.

The Director of Individual and Planned Giving upholds and advances the mission and values of the American Academy. 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 June 2021, after which time, the position will be based at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge, MA

Human Resources and Operations Assistant

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent honorary societies and independent policy research centers.  The American Academy seeks a Human Resources and Operations Assistant to support daily administration, recruitment and onboarding, employee engagement, and special projects for the Human Resources Department. The HR and Operations Assistant will also provide general office support and work on special projects for other departments at the Academy, including Finance, Operations, and Membership Information and Elections.    

The Academy is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote its values. The Human Resources Assistant will incorporate these values into their work to help develop an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all Academy staff.

The Human Resources Assistant will play a key role in ensuring that all Academy staff, and by extension, the Academy, can meet its strategic goals and deliver excellent service to the Fellows and general public.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this position will operate remotely through July 6, 2020, after which the position will be on-site at the House of the Academy in Cambridge, MA.

Cambridge, MA

Program Director for Education, Arts, and Culture

With guidance from the Chief Program Officer (CPO), the Program Director for Education, Arts and Culture 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, Arts and Culture policy with a focus on higher education policy, developing new projects and partnerships related to education policy that build on the Academy’s strengths and ability to have impact in this area. The Program Director will supervise activities related to the completion of the work by the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education and will oversee the successful completion of a multi-year Commission on the Arts and its related rollout activities through December of 2021. 

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 June 2021, after which time, the position will be based at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts 

Cambridge, MA