• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $85,000 - $92,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Faculty Director, the Assistant Director of Administration oversees the daily administrative and academic operations of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society (ICLS). Responsibilities include overseeing the Institute's finances, staff, and student and faculty services. The Assistant Director will be responsible for budget development, coordinating inter-departmental and inter-school curricula, and maintaining procedures among affiliated departments. The Assistant Director collaborates with directors of undergraduate and graduate studies and interfaces with both student groups.

Founded in 1998, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society (ICLS) is a leader in global comparative literature. The Institute combines theoretical and practical approaches in research and teaching, integrates interdisciplinary area studies and Eurocentric comparative literature, and enhances both fields through rigorous, context-specific training. ICLS supports cross-disciplinary and cross-regional comparative work, bridging multiple languages and traditions and serving as a primary intersection for literary and social science studies at Columbia University.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Institute's operating finances. Develop and update budgets, authorize expenditures, reconcile accounts, resolve issues, and prepare financial reports, including Schedule F Tax Reporting.
• Manage and coordinate all external and internal grants hosted by the Institute, including fund allocation, expenditure authorization, account reconciliation, problem resolution, and preparation of annual financial reports for granting institutions.
• Coordinate fundraising efforts and identify potential funding sources. Provide administrative support in developing faculty grant proposals and associated budgets.
• Coordinate faculty searches, adjunct hiring, Visiting Scholar Program, and student admissions processes. Serve as the primary point of contact for students and scholars regarding university and institute procedures.
• Collaborate closely with the Director and ICLS Executive Committee to prepare materials for monthly meetings, take minutes, and produce an annual report. Manages ICLS academic and outreach initiatives.
• Manage the administrative functions of the graduate certificate programs. Oversee the graduate admissions process through SLATE, onboard the Director of Graduate Studies, and handle the issuance of fellowship stipends.
• Manage the administrative aspects of the undergraduate degree program in Medical Humanities in coordination with Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the Medical Humanities Advisory Board. Onboard the Director of Undergraduate Studies and serve as a resource for institutional knowledge.
• Act as the primary administrator for the Psychoanalytic Studies Program graduate certificate, coordinating curriculum, event programming, and admissions with ICLS's Director of Psychoanalytic Studies and the CUIMC's Center for Psychoanalytic Research and Training.
• Oversee the ICLS website and Columbia College Bulletin listings. Promote events, manage budgets for co-sponsorships, and develop strategies to enhance awareness of the Institute and its special events.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with Columbia departments, schools, and faculty. Supervise the Coordinator, overseeing daily tasks and academic record-keeping. Co-supervise Federal Work-Study student assistants and Graduate Administrative Fellows.
• Administer annual awards, including the Catherine Medalia Johannet Memorial Prizes and Etienne Balibar Essay Prizes, and maintains the Mounia Abousaid Memorial Reading Nook. Communicate with donor families and faculty namesakes, soliciting applications and entries. Prepare budget and reports to share with donors.
• Manage and coordinate the Institute's special events. Secure appropriate event venues, oversee all catering, facilities, and security arrangements, and manage caterers and support staff.
• Oversee undergraduate and graduate student record systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.

• Minimum of three years related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in fundraising, including identifying potential funding sources, developing and submitting grant proposals, managing donor relations, and successfully securing financial support for institutional initiatives.
• Experience in website development.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Other Requirements

• Strong financial, administrative, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, tact, sensitivity, and mature judgment.
• Must be well-organized, creative, efficient, and able to multitask and prioritize.
• Demonstrated experience in thinking strategically and developing new outreach and community-building methods.
• Experience with foreign vendor payments and a basic understanding of US visa and tax restrictions.