Program Assistant

The Andrew W Mellon Foundation

New York, NY

Apply

JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$80,000–$85,000 Per Year

SKILLS

Administrative Skills, Adobe Product Family, Analysis Skills, Budgeting, Communication Skills, Conferences, Creative Writing, Cross-Functional, Detail Oriented, Fellowship, File Management, File Systems, Foundation Grants, Funding, Grant Administration/Management, Leadership, Mail Processing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Multitasking, Nonprofit, Organizational Skills, Prepare Correspondence, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Project/Program Management, Record Keeping, Reporting Skills, Request for Information (RFI), Team Player, Time Management, Willing to Travel, Writing Skills

LOCATION

New York, NY

POSTED

2 days ago

Mellon Foundation

Program Assistant, Director's Portfolio, Arts and Culture

The Mellon Foundation ("Foundation") is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, andwe believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks a Program Assistant for our Arts and Culture team.

Position Summary:

Reporting to a Senior Program Associate, the Program Assistant will provide programmatic and logistical support to the Senior Program Associate, their supervising Program Director, and the broader Arts and Culture team. The successful candidate will be thoughtful, highly motivated, energetic, collaborative, and congenial, with well-developed communication and organizational skills. The work is detail-oriented and requires strong organizational and communication skills, flexibility, cool-headedness, effective time-management, precision, patience, efficiency, and discretion.

Position Description:

Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to the following:

Grants Management:

Serving as a liaison for prospective and existing grantees alongside the Senior Program Associate and the Program Director, by participating in meetings and site visits
Participating in building a grant portfolio of new and renewal funding proposals under the direction of the Senior Program Associate and their supervising Program Director
Monitoring the progress of proposals from first receipt to approval, including their timely tracking and management in Fluxx, the Foundation's grants management system, and communicating with grantees as directed about the progress of their proposals in line with Foundation deadlines
Carefully reviewing grant reports and requests for modifications, extensions, and transfers, correspond with grantees about successes as well as challenges, alert program colleagues regarding key activities or difficulties, and follow up as appropriate
Working with other Foundation departments to ensure timely delivery and processing of grant-related information for proposals, reports, and modifications, and facilitate rapid response to internal questions as they arise
Traveling to site visits, conferences, and other engagements, as needed

Administrative Duties:

Keeping grant files in the Foundation's file management system up to date as well as resolving inconsistencies and preparing reports
Undertaking general office and grant-related work, such as electronic filing, maintaining program records, preparing correspondence, responding to requests for information, scheduling, etc.
Assisting with information gathering regarding the development of new grant initiatives and the review of existing programs as requested by program leadership
Participating in team-level process-improvement projects, as assigned
Representing the Arts and Culture program in cross-functional meetings and collaborating with other departments to advance program goals
Offering administrative support for convenings, gatherings, and events, as needed

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate would hold a bachelor's degree, preferably in the arts or humanities, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Applicants should possess:

1-3 years of relevant professional experience
A keen understanding of and interest in the arts, culture, and humanities
Familiarity with the literary arts, including literature and creative writing across genres such as creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, as well as with experience with literary arts organizations including nonprofit presses and publishers, poetry or book festivals, residencies, fellowships and reading series

Ability to manage multiple projects, while being a committed team player
An orientation toward self-starting, proactive anticipation of team needs, and creative problem solving
Superior written communication skills; excellent analytical, critical thinking, and organizational skills with precise attention to detail
A high degree of competency in the MS Office suite, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, Adobe Suite, and the ability to learn new applications quickly and, ideally, the following professional knowledge:

Experience working in a not-for-profit environment and/or grants administration
Ability to read and understand organizational budgets, and/or financials
Flexibility, curiosity, integrity, as well as a willingness to learn from mistakes
An empathetic manner grounded in compassion, grace, and humility

The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organizational need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.

Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Mellon offers a generous total reward package that includes base salary and a comprehensive benefits program, as well as an excellent working environment. Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $80,000 - $85,000. The amount of pay offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate's contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation's internal pay equity framework.

Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with a minimum of three days per week in person at the Foundation's Manhattan offices.

Candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter describing fit for the position and a resume by July 6th, 2026. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.

About the Company

The Andrew W Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.

COMPANY SIZE

50 to 99 employees

INDUSTRY

Other/Not Classified

WEBSITE

https://mellon.org/about/careers/