The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation seeks to hire an intellectually curious, self-motivated Program Associate who will support grantmaking in its Matter-to-Life program. The Program Associate will work with the Program Director to identify compelling opportunities for supporting research that advances our understanding of living systems and of how matter complexifies towards life. This is a full-time, three-year staff position with the possibility of extension for an additional two years.
Major Responsibilities
The Program Associate will have significant responsibilities related to soliciting, screening, evaluating, and managing grant proposals for the Matter-to-Life program. A central element of the work will involve working closely with the Program Director to identify and evaluate grantmaking opportunities by collecting, assimilating, and summarizing information from various sources (proposals, written reviewer comments, discussions with proposers, journal articles, websites, etc.). The Program Associate must be skilled at grasping complex ideas and expressing them using language accessible to nonexperts.
Other responsibilities include working with the Program Director to develop and implement practices that facilitate communication and collaboration amongst grantees, triaging inbound Letters of Inquiry, helping to coordinate the proposal review process, and supporting various grantmaking and grant management processes.
Over time, the Program Associate will—under supervision of the Program Director—take increasing responsibility for the workflows associated with grantmaking and grant management. A modest amount of travel is expected and the Program Associate will need to display integrity, discretion, and judgment when representing the Foundation at workshops and other meetings.
Education and Experience
The ideal candidate will have earned a PhD in a natural science or engineering discipline related to biology, physics, or chemistry. As the scope of science covered by program grantmaking exceeds the expertise held by any one individual, the successful candidate will be a self-motivated learner who is enthusiastic about engaging with a broad range of science and scientists. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential, as are strong organizational skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as appropriate. A nuanced understanding of research at universities is also helpful.
Job Expectations
The Program Associate will gain exposure to a network of leading scholars and emerging technologies positioned to drive important advances at the interface of biology, physics, and chemistry; experience that could be valuable to any number of career trajectories.
This is a term-limited position lasting three years with the option of extending for an additional two years.
Employees of the Foundation are expected to work in the Sloan offices in Rockefeller Center, NYC during normal work hours from Tuesday-Thursday and may work remotely on Mondays and Fridays, except when job commitments require presence in the office.
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.
The salary range for this position is $95,000 – $105,000.
How To Apply
Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume/CV via email to HR@sloan.org with “LAST NAME – Program Associate, Matter-to-Life” in the subject line.
The Foundation is emphatically committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its grant programs and among staff. As such, the Foundation strongly encourages applications from people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women and LGBTQ+ people, and members of other marginalized communities.