Program Assistant, Project Grants

JOB TITLE: Program Assistant, Project Grants

DEPARTMENT: The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage 

Summary:

This is an administrative assistant position that facilitates the work of the Center’s Project Grant Programs. This role is a critical interface between all staff at the Center and requires frequent communication with multiple external parties including consultants, vendors, grantees, and applicants. The job requires the use of technology skills in support of correspondence, scheduling, virtual meetings and events, databases, and grant application software.

You’ll provide primary support to the Center’s Performance Program Director, in close collaboration with other Center programs and administrative staff, in all phases of program operations as follows.

 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Scheduling, Meetings, and Events Support

  • Manages the Program Director’s schedule to assure their calendar is up-to-date and considerately arranged.
  • Coordinates with the Center’s Executive Assistant and other administrative staff to monitor and maintain the Centerwide operations calendar, working to keep it up-to-date with important details on all conference room reservations, visitors, and meeting requirements.  
  • Promptly keep the Center’s Executive Assistant apprised of any changes to meetings, or new events that may impact the Executive Director’s schedule.
  • Schedules a high volume of virtual and in-person meetings between Center constituents, applicants, consultants, grantees, and program staff.
  • Greets and provide hospitality to Center guests and set-up and breakdown conference rooms.
  • Liaises with Operations Assistant to ensure meeting rooms are secured and to ensure optimal logistical arrangements for in-person and hybrid remote/in-person meetings, including set up and breakdown of AV equipment.
  • As necessary, works with Meeting and Events Planner to arrange/request catering, restaurant reservations, hotel, and travel.
  • Facilitate routine internal program meetings on a weekly or monthly basis.
  • Works closely with the Center’s Meeting and Event Planner to support the planning of events and capacity-building activities, ensuring efficient and realistic schedules for professional development talks, symposia, seminars, consultancies, and trips; and grant adjudication meetings.
  • Manage RSVPs through email and Eventbrite.

 

Grant Application Cycle Support

  • In collaboration with all grant programs and the Center’s Chief Administrative Officer, annually drafts application cycle calendar for approval by Program Director.
  • Recommends application deadlines, notification dates, grant panelist review periods, and grant adjudication panel meeting schedule.
  • Requests, collects, and organizes financial audits/statements from applicant organizations to ensure financial threshold eligibility criteria are met.
  • Fields basic questions from applicants and prospective applicants about application guidelines, eligibility, and processes.
  • Works with the Center’s core administrative staff to ensure the Center’s online application system is updated and prepared to open for each stage of the application cycle.
  • Communicates necessary changes to application forms, review criteria, and dates in a timely manner.
  • Provides basic technical support to applicants and panelists on the use of the Center’s online application system.
  • Screens grant applications in the Center’s online application system for completeness, adherence to guidelines, errors, faulty links, file submission issues, incomplete data, etc. s
  • Assists program staff with securing and orienting grant application reviewers and panelists by issuing instructions, reminders, preparing dossiers and documents, and in gathering contact and financial information needed to process payments.
  • Provides primary administrative support for annual grant adjudication panel meetings.
  • Work with Center’s core administrative staff to prepare application review system to run the panel meeting. Schedule run-throughs and rehearsals.
  • Operates A/V equipment and provide logistical support during the meetings. Assist Meetings and Events Planner to provide hospitality and in arranging travel for panelists.
     

Daily/Ongoing Tasks

  • Provides general support to Program Director with technology, calendar, and correspondence.
  • As requested by the Program Director, writes, transcribes, and manages email and written correspondence to constituents and consultants, including memos, agendas, invitations, requests, and reminders.
  • Fields general programmatic inquiries that come from website visitors.
  • Collects payment information, tax forms, letters of agreement, and invoices from Center external vendors, consultants, and constituents to issue payment.
  • Creates check requests and submit proper documentation and approval to the Center’s accounts payable staff to ensure payments are processed on time.
  • Assists Program Director in managing credit card purchases, submitting appropriate paperwork and receipts to Center’s financial staff each month.
  • Ensures that the Program’s contact lists are kept up-to-date, and that the appropriate persons and organizations are receiving materials.
  • Receives, sorts, opens, and distributes all incoming mail for program; ensures that outgoing mail and express packages are handled appropriately.
  • Helps update the Center’s Salesforce database that links critical information about applicants, grantees and other constituents to the Center’s operations, capacity-building programs, and communications.
  • Works cooperatively with the Center’s communications staff and grants manager to keep the portions of the database that pertain to the program both accurate and current, performing data entry as requested.
  • Coordinates with Communications staff on monthly tracking of grantee news and media coverage, providing information for Center website and other communications materials.
  • After Program events, creates and disseminates accurate attendee contact information and evaluation surveys.
  • Maintains the program’s archives and libraries, managing the accessioning and deaccessioning of materials under the direction of program staff.

 

Special Assignments and Projects

  • Upon request of the Program Director, performs special communications, administrative or logistical functions using one’s specific skills, knowledge, expertise and talent. Such work may include, but is not limited to, various types of qualitative research; quantitative analysis.
  • Caries out other such duties as may be assigned or requested. Contribute to Center activities as required.
  • Actively participates as a member of the Center’s community.   

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent; they do not purport to describe all functions.  Incumbent may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change from time to time as necessary.

 

Education:

  • Associate’s or bachelor’s degree or its equivalent

Experience:

  • A minimum of three years of full-time administrative work experience in a comparable position

 

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • Intermediate experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook is required.
  • Possess a high proficiency and comfort with the use of Microsoft Excel or the ability to quickly learn such platforms is a must.
  • Knowledge of PowerPoint basics or comparable presentation programs is preferred.
  • Possess skills in analyzing information and situations to define the problem or objective, identify relevant factors, formulate logical and objective conclusions, and recognize alternatives and their implications.  
  • Requires effective interpersonal skills to successfully interact with the Center’s constituency, fellow staff, and external consultants.
  • Requires the ability to be systematic thinker with superior organizational skills and proven success in creating and maintaining efficient administrative processes.
  • Expected to work independently and as a team member.
  • Ability to prioritize multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail, balancing and satisfying competing deadlines and personalities, maintaining professionalism under pressure and in sensitive and difficult situations.
  • Respects the needs and issues of non-profit organizations and artists
  •  Understands the appropriate boundaries between Center staff and its constituents.
  • Ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center’s unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
  • Ability to tolerate paperwork and respect administrative procedures while remaining flexible and resilient.
  • Ability to know when to ask questions and when to take initiative.
  • Ability to learn quickly and have the willingness to assume tasks as needed.

About the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

The Center is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace. We employ a staff of talented, motivated individuals with experience and interest in the nonprofit and/or arts and culture sectors.

About The University:

University of the Arts’ mission is simple: to advance human creativity. Established in 1876, UArts believes creativity is the most essential skill for success in today’s society and has educated generations of groundbreaking artists, performers, designers and creative leaders for more than 141 years.  After being granted university status in 1987, University of the Arts became the largest institution of its kind in the nation, offering programs in design, fine arts, media arts, crafts, music, dance, theater and writing. It now features 30 undergraduate arts majors, 15 graduate programs and the nation’s first PhD program in Creativity. UArts is also home to innovative centers across disciplines, including the Center for Immersive Media, Lightbox Film Center, Philadelphia Art Alliance and Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery. Learn more about UArts.

 

TO APPLY: Interested, qualified applicants should submit cover letters of application and resumes to the Human Resources Department via email to jobs@uarts.edu. Please ensure job title is in the Subject line.
 

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, The University of the Arts publishes its Annual Safety Report at the following link for your reference: http://www.uarts.edu/about/campus-crime-fire-reports

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Title IX Statement: The University of the Arts prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Title IX Coordinator and Diversity Administrator is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. To contact the Title IX Coordinator, e-mail titleix@uarts.edu,, or visit The University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, Room 260, or call 215-717-6366. To learn more about the University's Title IX policy and response to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, please visit www.uarts.edu/titleix. Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

Launch Experience