Associate Director

Position Description

The Associate Director oversees the programs of ISSI and five centers: the Center for Research on Social Change, the Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies, the Berkeley Center for Social Medicine, the Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues, and the Center for the Study of Sexual Cultures. The Associate Director is responsible for coordinating academic programming, supporting faculty and students in their research, and supervising the ISSI Chief Administrative Officer, Communications Coordinator, and Program Coordinator. The Associate Director also provides high-level oversight of ISSI centers that have their own staff. While all programs fall under the umbrella of interdisciplinary social change research, their topical focuses are quite distinct. The Associate Director is not expected to be a subject matter expert in these areas, as that expertise resides with the faculty chairs.

• Coordinate and support academic events, programming, summer workshops, and related initiatives across ISSI and affiliated centers.
• Administer mini-grant and prize programs, including application coordination, review support, and program implementation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for visiting scholars, providing logistical, administrative, and programmatic support.
• Provide research and organizational support to affiliated faculty and students, including facilitating collaborations, supporting writing and working groups, and coordinating resources across centers and initiatives.
• Assist faculty in securing extramural funding by identifying funding opportunities, advising on proposal development and submission strategies, guiding compliance with university and agency procedures, and reviewing grant proposal drafts.

The Associate Director also serves as Co-Director of ISSI’s Graduate Fellows Program:

• Oversee curriculum development, program coordination, and training activities for Graduate Fellows.
• Lead seminars and provide mentorship, academic guidance, and editorial feedback to Graduate Fellows on research, scholarly writing, professional development, and academic presentations.
• Edit and publish Graduate Fellows’ working papers through the California Digital Library’s eScholarship Repository.
• Coordinate the Graduate Fellows recruitment and selection process, including application review, committee support, and fellowship communications.
• Liaise with campus offices regarding fellowship funding, program administration, and related support activities.

Qualifications

Required:

• Advanced degree

Preferred:

• Advanced degree in a field relevant to social sciences;
• Five years of program development and management or an equivalent combination of education and experience, preferably in an academic environment;
• Strong interdisciplinary intellectual background with ability to bridge fields and support collaborative research, programming, and graduate training;
• Evidence of scholarly achievement (e.g., at least one peer-reviewed publication preferred) and familiarity with the academic job market;
• Knowledge of systemic issues affecting marginalized communities in the U.S., with experience in community-engaged research preferred;
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills;
• Familiarity with academic research environments and ability to work effectively within diverse scholarly communities;
• Experience with grant proposal development and submission to federal and non-federal funding agencies, including knowledge of compliance requirements (e.g., human subjects, confidentiality, financial and effort reporting);
• Fundraising experience in a university or nonprofit context;
• Experience using and/or teaching qualitative social science research methods.

Application Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample #1 - Past example of grant proposal, grant reporting, or internal policy document.
• Writing Sample #2 - Academic research article (published or unpublished).
• Three (3) references (contact information only)