ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, is America’s oldest and most distinguished learned society. The APS’s current activities reflect the founder’s spirit of inquiry, provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas, and convey its conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in the best interest of the public.
The APS is an elected body of scholars and leaders from all disciplines and professions. Today, the Society has approximately 1,000 elected Members, about 840 of whom are Resident Members (U.S. citizens or those who live and work in the United States), and about 160 of whom are International Members from more than two dozen countries. Election to membership honors those who have made exceptionally significant contributions to science, the arts and humanities, and public life. Fewer than 5,900 Members have been elected since 1743. Since 1900, more than 260 Members have received a Nobel Prize.
The APS engages leading scholars, scientists, and professionals in Meetings that offer the opportunity for fellowship and interdisciplinary exchange. It also supports and recognizes research and discovery through a Library & Museum with an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, books, digital content, and artifacts, and through grants and fellowships, seminars, conferences, and prizes. The APS serves the public through exhibitions drawn from the Society’s collections, a diverse program of publications, an array of public lectures and scholarly and educational programs, and rich digital resources available to anyone with an internet connection.
THE POSITION
The Director of Meetings organizes and executes all aspects of the Society’s Meetings Program and reports to the Executive Officer. The APS hosts nearly 350 of its Members, their families, and distinguished guests each April and November at its biannual General Meetings. These Meetings appeal to the diverse interests and expertise of attendees, provide a unique opportunity to indulge the audience’s breadth of intellectual curiosity, and offer an engaging selection of talks in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Organize and execute all aspects of the Society’s Meetings Program. Tasks include tendering invitations to speakers and musicians; negotiating hotel and catering contracts; preparing programs, speaker bios, and attendance lists; making security arrangements; arranging for streaming and recording of presentations; and coordination of publication with the APS Press.
- Support the Executive Officer and the Committee on Meetings, in collaboration with in-house colleagues, in the planning and conduct of the Society’s biannual Meetings.
- Organize biannual gatherings of the Committee on Meetings to gather and pursue suggestions for Meeting talks and thematic sessions.
- Work with colleagues to ensure that the Meetings reflect and present to Members the broad range of the Society’s activities.
- Engage with appropriate staff across the Society in event planning and stewardship/cultivation tasks, including public lectures, special events, and “APS on the Road.”
- Work with public lectures committee staff to organize and execute all aspects of monthly public lectures, community-focused talks, and performance series. Talks are typically related to recurring monthly topics, e.g., Franklin’s Birthday, Black History Month, or to themes of the annual Museum exhibition.
- Work with APS staff to create and organize special occasions, e.g., holiday events, group travel by Members, and other public celebrations.
- Organize and execute “APS on the Road”: travels and interactive presentations with key APS staff to engage Members while in their home locations on the activities and opportunities of the Society.
- Play a central role more broadly in the Society’s life by developing a deep knowledge of the Membership and strong and enduring working relationships with Members.
- Additional activities for the Society’s President and Executive Officer at their request.
- The Director of Meetings has the support of a shared assistant.
This is a full-time position with benefits. The Society offers a competitive benefits package, including health insurance, dental, life insurance, long term disability, 403b with the employer match, and paid days off.
Salary: Full-time, exempt, $80,000-$100,000.
JOB REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred.
- Knowledge Requirements: Must be a solid writer and a comfortable public speaker with strong writing and verbal skills.
- Computer skills and flexibility with evolving technologies essential.
- Experience: Must be detail-oriented and accustomed to working with a highly educated and accomplished constituency.
- Personal: Have strong interpersonal and communication skills and the desire and ability to work productively and collaboratively to support the mission of the Society.
OTHER INFORMATION
- Special Information (Travel required, physical requirements, on-call schedules, etc.):
- Attendance at biannual Meetings essential.
- On-call for additional meetings, events, travel, often outside of office hours.
- Frequent, off-hour attention to Members emails and calls.
The American Philosophical Society is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, age, sex, gender, religion or national origin. The APS values diversity and inclusion and encourages diverse applicants to apply. Successful applicants will be asked to show proof that they can legally work in the U.S.