SACNAS –Program Associate
SACNAS is the largest national multidisciplinary and multicultural society dedicated to fostering the success of URMs (underrepresented minorities) in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). SACNAS is looking for an exceptional individual who desires to work full time within a nonprofit environment. With 40+ years of history, SACNAS has developed a national footprint of over 115 student chapters, a highly regarded Leadership Institute, and the largest diversity-in-STEM conference in the country. SACNAS partners include: UCLA, USC, Harvard, Texas A&M, AISES, NASA, USDA, NOAA, DOI, DOE, Stanford, HHMI, ACS, NIH, NSF, and many more. This position is based in beautiful downtown Santa Cruz, California. The Program Associate is a member of the SACNAS Programs Team.
Position Title: Program Associate
Department: Programs
Reporting To: Director of Programs
Position Summary
The Program Associate designs, coordinates, and executes programs that advance SACNAS’ mission. A main focus of the role will be on undergraduate and graduate student members and supporting them in their journey through the STEM higher education pipeline. This position will assist with chapters, the Leadership Institute, the national conference, evaluation efforts, and other programmatic development activities and special projects as assigned. In addition, this position will oversee the recruitment and preparation of over 1,200 undergraduate/graduate students and postdoctoral researchers as they present their science at the annual SACNAS conference. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in the social sciences, non-profit management, business, education, the STEM fields, or other related discipline and at least one year of experience in a relevant area.
Communications: Excellent writing, small group communication, and presentation skills. Logistics: Based at the Santa Cruz, CA national headquarters; must possess the ability to travel on occasion throughout the United States.
Mission: Strong commitment to and alignment with the goals of SACNAS.
Desired Education and Experience:
Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
Ability to maintain confidentiality around sensitive and complex relationships and projects.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
Advanced computer and office skills, including proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, Basecamp, and Salesforce.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
Experience and high comfort level with public speaking.
Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
Occasional regional and national travel will be required.
Comfortable working with multiple teams and individuals on projects.
3 years proven professional experience in the nonprofit, social impact, government, workforce development, and/or higher education fields.
Experience developing or delivering innovative mission focused programs.
Commitment to the Society’s values, mission, goals, and program.
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations.
Duties and Responsibilities
Coordinate, manage and develop existing student research presentations program, including the SACNAS undergraduate/graduate student research poster sessions, graduate student orals, and the Student Peer Mentoring Program.
Supervise and manage all student presentations programming at the SACNAS National Conference. Duties include coordinating judges, student presenters, and the student peer mentoring program.
Lead the SACNAS Student Presentations Committee in program development, abstract review and coordination and training of presentation judges/mentors at the conference.
Develop and manage online abstract submission system and the digital publishing platform of the abstract book website.
Recruit, train and manage STEM professionals for abstract reviewing and presentation judging/mentoring.
Recruit sponsors for student presentation awards and any other sponsor related events/projects.
Develop and refine educational support resources for research presenters and provide reviewers, judges, and mentors with adequate training to ensure an effective and engaging experience for students year-round.
Work in collaboration with Exhibits Programs Manager to develop exhibit hall layout at every annual conference. Provide strategic integration of student research presentations within exhibit hall ensuring an integrated program.
Draft effective outreach materials for distribution to a diverse audience.
Assist with data collection and evaluation activities.
Support the chapters, Leadership Institute and Native American Affairs programs.
Track programmatic financials and assist in grant reporting.
Maintain and update website pages.
Work in collaboration with Communications & Marketing team.
Work in collaboration with the Events and Logistics team.
Develop new and unique programming, including online programs.
Contribute to building the resources and infrastructure necessary to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
Special projects and other duties as assigned.
Salary and Benefits
This is a full time position with benefits. SACNAS offers a competitive salary, ample opportunities for professional development, and generous vacation, sick and holiday time.
How to apply
Application Process
To ensure full consideration, please provide a resume, current salary history, and a cover letter highlighting the desired qualifications. Application materials should be sent as a single document to: jobs@sacnas.org. Applications that do not include all three requirements will not be considered. We will begin reviewing complete application packages ASAP. Anticipated start date: early June.