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Open Position

Program Associate / Building Bridges

Title: Program Associate / Building Bridges
Location: 444 Madison Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY
Reports to: Program Director / Building Bridges
Status: Full-time, exempt (minimum three days a week in person)
How to apply: Click here to apply. Please send resume and cover letter. Application reviews will be accepted on a rolling basis and until the position is filled.

The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future by investing in artists and the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, child well-being and greater mutual understanding among diverse communities. DDF operates five national grantmaking programs as well as Duke Farms and Shangri La, two centers that serve the public directly. DDF’s activities are guided by the will of Doris Duke, who endowed the foundation with financial assets that currently total above $2 billion.

ABOUT THE BUILDING BRIDGES PROGRAM
Through the Building Bridges Program, the foundation supports national efforts, working with U.S. Muslims, to increase mutual understanding and well-being among diverse populations for the benefit of building stronger, inclusive communities. The program is anchored in the conviction that strategic use of the arts and media can help provide an effective social prescription for achieving this vision.

Historically, most of the Building Bridges Program’s support was distributed through its annual grant competition, which funded the planning and implementation of projects that engaged U.S.-based Muslims and their neighbors in arts- and media-based experiences designed to advance relationships and understanding for mutual well-being. Now, the program focuses on identifying storytellers who create outsize impact by telling stories on wide-scale platforms to large audiences.

POSITION
The program associate for the Building Bridges Program works on a team to enable the successful implementation of the DDF Building Bridges Program strategy. The program associate is passionate about the foundation’s mission and the ideas that it drives, in particular about working to increase mutual understanding and well-being among diverse populations, especially between U.S. Muslim and other diverse communities, for the benefit of building stronger, inclusive communities. The program associate supports the activities of the Building Bridges Program by managing and overseeing administrative, event planning, budgeting and communication activities, and by being an integral member of the DDF organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative

  • Manage scheduling and calendars for the program and the program director.
  • Manage record-keeping and updates of electronic files and the online grants database.
  • Track and process program expenses and manage costs to stay within the program’s budget.
  • Prepare the program director’s and own monthly expense reports.
  • Draft, edit, review and proofread contracts for consultants in consultation with the program director and complete processes for paperwork for consultants’ payments.
  • Review and process approved payments for consultants and vendors.
  • Coordinate travel arrangements and process travel reimbursements, invoices and honoraria for grantees, advisers and consultants.

Programmatic

  • Manage day-to-day operations of the program, facilitate departmental meetings and prepare agendas and materials.
  • Monitor and review grantee progress and final reporting, including no-cost extensions and additional grant requirements, and assist the program director with the approval of requests for report extensions, grant periods and payment requirements.
  • Engage with grantees and potential grantees, providing support throughout the application process and participating in site visits and events.
  • Manage and monitor the grantmaking database, including budgeting and payment projections.
  • Draft, review and edit reports and presentations for board and program meetings.
  • Research and report on topics relevant to the Building Bridges Program’s work and potential grantees; existing program areas and grantees; and grantmaking, communications and evaluation practices.
  • Serve as a liaison with consultants, including assisting with preparing background materials and all relevant documents for consultants’ scopes of work.

Communications

  • Collaborate with the foundation’s Influence & Marketing Department to monitor media coverage, update and maintain the program website, and support communication strategies.
  • Provide input to the program’s communications consultant to support grantee communications.
  • Serve as the liaison for grantees’ communications needs and assist in the development of communications materials.

Event and Meeting Organization

  • Plan and manage event logistics for program-related events, meetings and site visits, including establishing contracts and developing registration materials.
  • Identify and manage vendors for meeting locations, catering and lodging.
  • Staff program events.

Budget and Accounting Responsibilities

  • Coordinate budget and accounting processes for Building Bridges Program staff, including purchasing.
  • Fulfill, track and process all expenses, including honoraria, invoices and reimbursements, and manage costs within the program budget.

Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree and significant work experience in a professional setting, preferably a grantmaking organization.
  • Considerable knowledge of and a genuine interest in Muslim culture.
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral, writing and editing skills.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Facility with and interest in technology, including experience in accounting, database, project management and web content applications.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
  • Ability to collaborate and take initiative to further the goals of the program, as well as the ability to make independent and informed decisions.
  • Self-motivation, collaborative with a team player mentality; ability to work cooperatively and positively with colleagues.
  • Willingness to travel.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  • Anticipated hiring salary range is $61,000-$77,000, and the final offer will depend on experience.
  • Industry-leading benefits.

OUR VALUES
The following values underpin everything we do in pursuit of our mission across the Doris Duke Foundation:

Integrity: We must be honest and ethical in all that we undertake. As a private foundation, we are accountable to the many stakeholders affected by our work.

Excellence: We will insist on the highest standards of performance in fulfilling our mission, will ground our work in best practices and will make decisions based on the best available information.

Openness and Imagination: We will be a listening and learning organization that is responsive to ideas and opinions from a variety of sources. We value imagination and creativity, the ability to think in new ways about the work we do and how we do it.

Collaboration: We value a collaborative and supportive environment in which to advance our mission and objectives. Creating a working environment that promotes trust, honesty and respect within our organization is as important as earning the trust and respect of our colleagues and peers in the fields in which we work.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We believe in the essential value that a diverse set of perspectives, experiences and abilities brings to the table. Our commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice is an ongoing, active engagement reflected in our funding areas, grantees, museums, centers, board and staff. At the core of our work is a dedication to serving and learning from organizations and individuals addressing inequities and working toward a more just, healthy and inclusive society. (Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and how we incorporate this value into our work.)

The Doris Duke Foundation is committed to inclusive hiring and equal employment opportunity. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, orientations and communities to apply. Our recruiting and employment practices adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. We provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation in the job application process is needed, please contact us here.