Program Coordinator - Renaissance Center

The University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst (MA); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies at The University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a Program Coordinator to work with the Director and Librarian to manage and grow the center's research, educational, arts, and public-facing initiatives.

Responsibilities include developing cross-institutional partnerships, identifying grant opportunities, overseeing finances, and coordinating educational programs and events aligned with Renaissance history, literature, and art.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in early modern literature, history, or related field.
• At least two years of arts administration experience.
• Knowledge of Renaissance studies, history, culture, arts, and languages.
• Experience with grant writing and funding opportunities.
• Familiarity with rare books and manuscripts and ability to read roman, italic, and gothic typefaces.
• Ability to work collaboratively and foster an inclusive team environment.

Responsibilities

• Identify and expand cross-institutional partnerships with educational and public art institutions through outreach and program development.
• Develop sustainable research partnerships with external Renaissance Centers.
• Identify and research grant funding proposals and co-author grant applications with interdisciplinary team.
• Steward designated financial resources toward mission goals.
• Coordinate development of public-facing outputs (workshops, performances, exhibits) connected to Renaissance themes.
• Create internship opportunities across the five Colleges and broaden work-study programming for the Center.

Skills

Grant writing

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Writing and editing

Research

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in early modern literature, history, or related field

Job description

Title: Program Coordinator - Renaissance Center

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: Humanities & Fine Arts

Department: Dean - Humanities & Fine Arts

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule:Full Time

Work Arrangement:Onsite

Job Summary

The Program Coordinator for the Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies works with the Director and Librarian to manage and develop the Center’s research, educational, arts, and public facing programs.

Essential Functions

• Identify, develop, and expand cross-institutional partnerships with educational and public art institutions by taking the lead on targeted outreach and program development. Meet with students, scholars, and administrators of other Renaissance Centers and scholarly programs.
• Develop sustainable research partnerships with external Renaissance Centers.
• Identify and research grant funding proposals on a regional and national level. Prepare, develop, and co-author, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of scholars, grant proposals and applications.
• Steward designated financial resources of the Center toward mission goals.
• Work collaboratively with Center staff, University Departments, and community organizations to identify and oversee the development of opportunities for new research networks, a wide range of educational opportunities, and public-facing arts projects that link the history, literature, and art of the Renaissance to modern times. Such projects include musical and theatrical performances; the expansion of the Renaissance of the Earth project across its educational, research, and public-facing agendas; development of new focus on questions of social and environmental justice; expanding undergraduate opportunities for interdisciplinary work-study.
• Cultivate relationships with local artists, herbalists, farmers, and orchardists to expand and market the Renaissance of the Earth research project and Grounded Knowledge Workshops.
• Design, implement, and publicize public-facing output (e.g. workshops, performances, arts, and rare book exhibitions, one day symposia on research themes) in consultation with faculty and graduate student research teams.
• Organize an annual meeting of 5 College librarians and faculty to identify topics of interest for cross-institutional exhibits, develop question driven pathways through book exhibitions that connect to the learning objectives of 5 College course offerings. Work closely with special collections librarians to identify texts and material objects that can be used for educational purposes in workshop and classroom settings.
• Develop an artist-in-residence program at the Kinney Center. Working closely with the Director, develop relationships with arts programs and centers on the east coast identifying opportunities for short-term and long-term artist in residence programs. This may include inviting musicians of historical music, actors, playwrights, directors, visual artists, and authors whose creative work draws upon or adapts questions from the Renaissance. Extend invitations to visual artists to produce gallery shows at Center, musicians to perform on the program’s outdoor stage, actors and dramaturgs to work together to develop new playscripts; as well as dance.
• Work closely with invited guests to identify potential research and educational intersections between invitee and ongoing intellectual projects at center. Manage publicity for events via public posts, social media, and mailing lists. Coordinate room reservations, travel arrangements. Reserve appropriate University facilities for event use.
• Create internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students across the 5 Colleges with an emphasis on the Renaissance of the Earth research project. In addition, identify internship opportunities for working with a rare book collection. Network with faculty across the 5 Colleges to identify students that will benefit the program. Expand the work-study offerings by developing new programming proposals for the Center.

Other Functions

Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in early modern literature, history, or related field.
• At least two years of arts administration experience.
• Knowledge of subject areas specific to the research mission of the Center including the history, culture, arts, and languages of the global Renaissance
• Successful grant writing experience and knowledge of funding opportunities and strategies.
• Familiarity with rare books and manuscripts and ability to read the roman, italic, and gothic typefaces that are most common in Renaissance print materials.
• Ability to work collaboratively and foster an inclusive team environment, leveraging diverse perspectives from a wide variety of internal and external groups.
• Experience advising executive staff on strategic matters.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, multi-task and meet deadlines.
• Experience managing complex, highly visible projects.
• Impeccable writing, editing, research, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Typical office work environment.

Additional Details

Direct supervision received from the Kinney Center Director.

This position is subject to final budgetary and administrative approval.

Working Conditions

Work is primarily performed in an indoor university environment and involves lifting and transporting materials or equipment and general physical activity, including prolonged standing, walking, or assuming low postures.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends for pre-scheduled events.

Salary Information

PSSAP Grade 25