American Council of Learned Societies

Overview of ACLS Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, ACLS's core principle is that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its endowment and $34 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for its central role in the twenty-first century. Job Summary ACLS seeks an experienced academic in the humanities and social sciences to serve as Director, Intentional Design for an Equitable Academy (IDEA). The Director will design, implement, assess and report on programs that advance ACLS's mission to support scholars and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences by encouraging the adoption of forward-thinking, humane academic best practices and resilient infrastructure. Reflecting the general values and aims of ACLS, IDEA's initiatives seek to help: broaden the range of scholarly perspectives in American academia improve and strengthen academic culture and infrastructure by encouraging forward-looking practices and structures support projects and fields of study facing underinvestment in the academy make scholarship more accessible to the public. As a member of the senior staff, the Director will collaborate with colleagues within the organization and across ACLS networks, including member societies and member institutions; will curate and facilitate forums for circulating knowledge and collaboration that bridge groups across our ecosystem, and design initiatives that improve scholars' futures while helping scholars to navigate current systems. Unit scope Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program and Mellon Mays Graduate and Professional Initiatives Emphasizing mentoring, research support, and student cohort building, the Mellon Mays programs partner with member colleges and universities to identify and support students of great promise and to help them become scholars and professionals of the highest distinction. The Mellon Mays staff at ACLS are currently responsible for: Coordinating annual grantmaking, programming, and reporting from 50 colleges, universities, and consortia in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship network Developing strategies for outreach to Mellon fellows to maximize engagement Designing programming that is responsive to the changing landscape of graduate education and Mellon Mays alumni needs that aligns with the mission and goals of ACLS Documenting and assessing the 35-year history of the program Intention Foundry A forum for advancing equity within and across fields, in partnership with emerging scholars, ACLS member society leadership, and college/university interlocutors. Digital Justice Grant Program This program promotes and provides resources for projects at various stages of development that strengthen the intellectual domain of digital humanities, with particular attention to improving accessibility and to ensuring the co-creation and preservation of an expansive and inclusive landscape of materials and stories. Responsibilities of the Director include but are not limited to: IDEA Program Strategy and Leadership Design and lead initiatives for our constituencies and partners (including learned societies, institutions of higher education, and thought leaders) appropriate to ACLS and aimed at transforming academic culture, policies, and practices. Oversee the staff designing and administering IDEA programs and work with them on programming that integrates programs with other ACLS work. Work with the President and the senior staff to help ACLS colleagues and ACLS networks (academic society executive directors and delegates, members of the University Consortium and Associates networks, fellows, past fellows, reviewers, and funders) work towards a more inclusive and vibrant ecosystem for the humanities and social sciences. Outreach and Development Work with the President and the Chief Development Officer to secure funding for initiatives and programs; maintain effective relations with foundation partners and funders; author or co-author program or grant proposals and reports. Develop and implement a plan for enhanced communication with and amongst the MMUF alumni inside and outside of the academy. Assist the President and Vice President in preparing reports to constituencies, including learned societies and the ACLS Board. Expand the reach of IDEA and ACLS to new groups, including new collaborators, donors and funders; and represent ACLS and its work to the Board and in external settings (conferences, gatherings, and other relevant convenings). Develop content for ACLS communications in collaboration with Communications team. Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer in cultivating events and activities of varying tone and scale to foster the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospects and donors that align the funders' identified areas of interest with emerging initiatives in the unit's portfolio or ACLS's broader priorities and capacities. Support the President and other leadership on the engagement of select high-capacity donors and funders, including support for meeting preparation and follow up. Propose and plan development travel for other key principals and surrogates. Management and operations Manage, guide, coach and develop direct reports and other unit members; provide guidance and strategic counsel to help advance their portfolio of initiatives or support work. Direct the operations and oversee the budget of IDEA, including direct supervision of program officers, program associates and other staff. Coordinate activities with other ACLS units as necessary, including Development and Finance. Work with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer to identify and drive solutions for various program-related organizational processes associated with technology, human resources, and financial services. Qualifications: PhD in the humanities or social sciences Leadership, management and administrative experience: successful candidates will have served as department or program chair or center director at minimum, ideally as an associate dean or dean or vice provost or the equivalent Must have tenure or have had tenure at some point and held the rank of full Professor (not Associate or Assistant Professor) Experience with the Mellon Mays programs a plus Ability to multi-task and prioritize long-term projects and short-term assignments in a deadline-driven environment Excellent interpersonal skills and facility both for working collaboratively with a team and independently Analytical and creative problem-solving capacity Ability to take initiative and respond flexibly to rapidly evolving and unexpected conditions Ability to maintain clear and rational judgment in high pressure or complex situations Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Word and Excel; experience with using relational databases, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM preferred Experience with grants management a plus Hybrid work schedule; must live within an easy commute of New York City Some travel required Serving faculty acceptable but must secure at least three years of unpaid leave with possibility of leave renewal Desired start date: January 2026 Compensation and Benefits Base salary range: $175,000 - $200,000, commensurate with experience ACLS offers a comprehensive benefits package; including medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and disability insurance; generous time off benefits; a retirement savings plan, including employer contributions; and professional development support.