Overview:

The Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA), based at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), researches what works — and doesn’t work — to create antiracist change. Founded and led by Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad, the IARA Project's mission is to promote antiracism as a core value and institutional norm across sectors. We achieve this by addressing intellectual and practical questions related to antiracism policy, practice, and institutional change. We connect with a community of organizational leaders and advocates putting this research into practice. A key part of the IARA Project's work is the Race, Research, and Policy Portal (RRAPP), a free, online collection of easy-to-read summaries of the most current and foundational antiracist research.

The Associate Director serves as the Director's advisor and representative, providing vision and leadership and overseeing the project's strategic development and day-to-day operations. The Associate Director works with the Director of the IARA Project to establish program goals and priorities and to execute strategies that maximize the impact of the project’s research.

The Associate Director articulates IARA's mission, vision, and goals to a broad constituency and plays a vital role in the management and direction of the project as the principal administrator for its core research, communications, and partnerships. The Associate Director is responsible at a highly independent level for the strategy and management of the project’s day-to-day activities, including workflows, grant applications, communications, research dissemination, PR efforts, and the Race, Research, and Policy Portal (RRAPP).

Responsibilities:

Program & Grant Development

• Lead grant proposal development and submission to get new research initiatives off the ground: researching new funding opportunities; drafting proposals/LOIs and grant application narratives; maintaining grant compliance and reporting.

• Develop and manage a networking plan to grow relationships with funders and strategic partners.

• Design and direct the IARA team’s workflows, ensuring staff are equipped to succeed.

• Manage the hiring and onboarding processes for any new hires, including full-time, part-time, and student research assistants.

• Represent the research project at community events to represent IARA and stay in touch with meaningful developments in the racial equity field.

Strategic Research Dissemination

• Develop and execute a robust strategy to identify, reach, and engage high-impact audiences to maximize the visibility and influence of IARA’s work.

• In conjunction with the IARA researchers, establish long- and short-term objectives for disseminating individual research projects.

• Create, write and manage targeted plans for dissemination of reports and publications to achieve those set objectives.

• Collect and utilize data, impact metrics, and community feedback to 1) ensure relevance of content, 2) reinforce a regular growth plan, and 3) bolster funding proposals.

• Curate and lead strategic collaborations, including for example, co-sponsored events, team speaking engagements, webinars, and co-publications, aimed at increasing impact and visibility of IARA research and work.

RRAPP & Database Management

• Direct the editorial process and review cycles for a pipeline of article summaries and other deliverables, ensuring deadlines are met.

• Lead editors and writers who synthesize current research and write/edit article summaries, from recruiting and onboarding to providing ongoing direction and support.

• Ensure processes flow smoothly, efficiently, and easily for the people and content involved in the production of RRAPP.

• Manage IARA’s research library on Zotero, including maintenance, storage, and organization.

Communications & PR

• Strategically prioritize story ideas and develop messaging on major research activities in order to add useful, solutions-first, and research-backed insights from IARA field experts to real-time policy discussions.

• Coordinate strategic and effective PR coverage, including reaching out to media, responding to press inquiries, and developing Op-Ed pitches together with IARA team members.

• Oversee and maintain all IARA web properties to ensure they remain user-friendly, fresh, and accessible platforms.

• Optimize IARA’s continued relevancy by offering useful, timely insights into real-world policy issues.

• Develop and implement an impact-driven content strategies that 1) deliver antiracist research in accessible formats and 2) build a community to exchange differentiated, targeted strategies for change, growth, and actualization of IARA’s mission. This includes the following:

o Design, write, edit, and publish content for distribution in multiple formats and across communications channels including web, digital, social media, and print publications.

o Utilize effective composition, visual design, and editorial skills to ensure that communications adhere to consistent branding guidelines, both for the research project itself as well as in coordination with the university-wide guidelines.

Qualifications:

Essential Qualifications:

Education: Master's degree

10 years of related work experience.

Demonstrated strategic planning skills and capacity to articulate a project's mission, vision, and goals.

Adept in developing and executing, with creativity and a strong alignment to mission, the unique programming/activities of an academic research center.

Demonstrated strength in building a program's capacity.

Substantial experience leading a multi-platform communications strategy and complex brand management.

Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision; strong personal initiative; highly self-motivated and self-directed; ability to "manage up" tactfully and diplomatically.

Enterprising, resourceful, and entrepreneurial work style; ability to expand the scope of activities and programming offered by a research program or center.

Excellent interpersonal skills, communication, and organizational skills; ability to work productively/efficiently in a dynamic environment with high degree of ambiguity.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Ability to interact and function in a cross-disciplinary academic environment.

Strong organizational and management skills and sound judgment; demonstrated project planning skills; strong attention to detail.

Demonstrated tact, diplomacy, and discretion; appreciation for the values of higher education.

Experience with editing and writing grant proposals, as well as producing and pitching opinion editorials.

Professional or academic experience in racial justice and/or public policy.

Experience with leading strategic planning in non-profit or higher education environments.

We at the School of Public and International Affairs believe that it is vital to cultivate an environment that embraces and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion - fundamental to the success of our education and research mission. This commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment and hiring as we actively seek colleagues of exceptional ability who represent a broad range of viewpoints, experiences and value systems, and who share Princeton University's dedication to excellence.

Princeton University is an and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Standard Weekly Hours:

36.25

Eligible for Overtime:

No

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Probationary Period:

180 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail):

No

Physical Capacity Exam Required:

No

Valid Driver’s License Required:

No

Experience Level:

Mid-Senior Level

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