Administrative Specialist, Democratic Erosion Consortium (18443)

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Summary/Objective

To address the growing crisis of democratic erosion worldwide, the Democratic Erosion Consortium (DEC) was created to develop partnerships among a diverse set of stakeholders—academics, students, funders, policymakers, and practitioners—through which data, theories, research questions, and practices can be discussed, evaluated, and improved with the goal of deepening understanding of democratic erosion and evidence-based strategies for mitigating it. The DEC recently received a large grant that is enabling it to dramatically scale up its activities over the next three years: it now seeks a part-time (27 hrs/week) Administrative Specialist to help establish and manage core administrative tasks and to serve as a liaison between DEC and relevant departments and personnel at American University.

The DEC’s activities fall under four main pillars:

(1) improve education on democratic erosion for academics, policymakers, and practitioners;

(2) document democratic erosion trends and dynamics by building a unique dataset;

(3) marshal existing research through policy briefs and workshops to inform more evidence-based interventions; and

(4) foster learning, discussion, and academic-practitioner partnerships.

The Administrative Specialist will report to the DEC’s Research Director, and will work closely with multiple departments and personnel both at American University and across the DEC.

Essential Functions

• Establishing and Managing Core Administrative Tasks: The Administrative Specialist will set up and manage administrative processes for the DEC. This includes, but is not limited to, managing hiring processes, maintaining email lists, managing communication with DEC members, and maintaining DEC’s project management software and systems.
• Monitoring projects: The Administrative Specialist will be responsible for tracking project data for monitoring and evaluation, including tracking budgets. The incumbent’s duties include writing quarterly reports on these projects as well as managing relations with subgrant recipients and coordinating the activities of DEC personnel.
• External Events: The holder of this position will organize conferences, virtual roundtables and other public events for the DEC. This will necessitate some in-person attendance at these events.
• Liaising with DEC and AU personnel and external parties: The Administrative Specialist will play a key role in developing and maintaining relationships between DEC and the various departments and personnel within American University that it regularly engages with. On an external level, the position identifies fundraising opportunities and brings these to the attention of the Research Director.

Work Environment

• Some travel for an annual conference and other public events in Washington, DC will be required.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Part Time, 27 hours/week.

• Coordinator/Analyst B.

• Non-Exempt.

• One-year position renewable for up to three years.

• Possible remote/hybrid position.

Salary Range

• $25 – $28, to commensurate with experience. 

Required Education and Experience

• Associate’s degree or equivalent.

• 2-3 years of administrative experience is required.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

• 2-4 years of relevant experience.

• Familiarity with working in a Higher Education and/or research context.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will be highly detail-oriented, capable of working independently, and will have excellent communication skills.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package including a 200% matching retirement plan, tuition benefits for full-time staff and their families, several leadership development certificates, and has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a fit-friendly worksite. Click here to learn about American University’s unique benefit options .

Current American University Employees

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Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu .

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