Program Assistant / Educational Program Coordinator I | Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Location
East Lansing, MI | United States
Job description
Working/Functional Title
Program Assistant
Position Summary
The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) is seeking an organized, experienced, and results-oriented professional to join its East Lansing-based team. The ideal candidate understands and appreciates working in Africa and supports the implementation of several international higher education partnerships and professional exchanges. In this role, the candidate will provide program and logistical support to the AAP in the design, planning, and implementation of the office’s professional exchange programs, resource mobilization, special events and monitoring and evaluation initiatives. As such, the candidate will work directly with early career researchers in a variety of disciplines, research managers and faculty visitors across Africa and young African leaders in education, civic engagement, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship. In addition, the candidate will work with a team to support sustainable resourcing of the AAP. Finally, the candidate will collect data for monitoring and evalution of the AAP strategic plan, and disseminate information about AAP’s work by supporting the team’s communication efforts and the editorial team of Perspectives , AAP’s occasional paper series. The successful candidate will have a passion for working at the nexus of higher education and international capacity strengthening. AAP is currently operating on a hybrid schedule with staff typically working three days in-person and two days remote. The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday 8:00am through 5:00pm with occasional evening and weekend work needed as program events require.
About the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP)
AAP is a consortium of ten leading African universities, a regional think tank network and Michigan State University (MSU). It was established by MSU in May 2016 to address today’s global challenges in a way that is sustainable, effective, and equitable. Our vision is to transform lives through co-created, research-driven initiatives that address shared challenges, and the mission is to initiate and support innovative, sustainable and equitable partnerships among African institutions, MSU and other collaborators.
Duties
Program Support
- Provide program support to the professional exchanges coordinated by AAP
- Collaborate with the program manager to plan the program of activities for the exchange visitors including arrange meetings with faculty at MSU as well as field visits in Michigan during their visit
- Booking transportation and lodging for visitors
- Organize and be the point person scheduling community and other social events for professional exchange visitors to AAP
- Coordinate the AAP Resource Mobilization Team (RMT)
- Manage the calendar of meetings and other activities of the RMT, and collaborate with the RMT leads to plan the meeting agenda and, contact team members to present on specific agenda items
- Take minutes, write reports and develop concept notes for specific RMT activities
- Conduct relevant research on donors and draft letters and other supporting documents for communication with them
- Support the AAP Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to produce reports for ISP, consortium members and other relevant stakeholders
- Contribute to data collection and entry from AAP-funded projects into smartsheet and other online tools, and support report development
- Contribute to generation of graphs and other information for specific reports to ISP, AAP consortium, including specific report on AAP research and outreach activities contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Events Support
- Support implementation of AAP events / meetings on MSU campus and in Africa in coordination with the AAP Office Assistant in East Lansing and the Administrative Assistant in the Africa office
- Arrange planning meetings for the team including booking and setting up rooms for the events
- Placing catering orders and reconciling payments made from company cards
- Liaise with staff from other departments on campus and outside of MSU
Communications Support
- Support the Perspectives occasional paper series editorial team with the call for papers and online processes at the MSU Press
- Share the call for papers and all updates on the AAP website and social media
- Communicate with guest editors, reviewers and MSU Press team during the online review process
- Plan and disseminate information about the virtual launch of new Perspective volumes
- Serve as a team member for AAP communications by supporting social media, AAP Bridge, and special projects
- Collaborate with the AAP Communications Coordinator and the Communications Intern on the Comms meeting agenda and plan for disseminating AAP information on social media, through constant contact etc
- Coordinate the information and special projects related to researchers collaboration on the AAP Bridge and other AAP online tools
Unit Specific Education/Experience/Skills
- Knowledge normally acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Social Science, Education, Business, Communications or any other relevant field
- Six months to one year of previous work experience with program support; experience in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint as well as Zoom, Teams, Smartsheet, Qualtrics, Constant Contact, and other virtual software environments
- Strong writing and proof-reading skills
- Strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences, particularly internationally
Desired Qualifications
- At least one year previous work experience with programming in East, West and/or Southern Africa
- Strong ability to organize, prioritize, and work independently, and collaboratively as a member of a team with offices and partners at MSU and in Africa, take initiative, be flexible, learn quickly, work effectively, and complete assigned tasks
- Timeliness, dependability, attention to detail, ability to make effective decisions, ability to respond effectively to changes in priorities on projects and activities
- Demonstrated ability to multi-task and maintain specific deadlines in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
- Demonstrated experience with virtual environments, administrative and logistical support
- Experience communicating and working directly with people from a diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender backgrounds
- Possession of a valid driver’s license
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Application Materials
Resume and cover letter
Work Hours
STANDARD 8-5
Website
Remote Work Statement
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
Bidding eligibility ends January 30, 2024 at 11:55 P.M.
About Michigan State University
Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.
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