J-PAL North America, an economics research center at MIT, is actively recruiting for an Events & Operations Associate. Working at J-PAL North America means being part of a vibrant, collaborative team of professionals who are committed to translating research into innovative policy solutions that are effective in reducing poverty. As a regional office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), J-PAL North America is part of a network of hundreds of researchers at universities around the world, including some of the world’s leading economics researchers. J-PAL North America works closely with J-PAL’s global headquarters and six additional independent regional offices in Africa, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia to generate cutting-edge research, policy outreach, and training. This position is based on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts and provides a hybrid work schedule with some days in the office and some days remote.

To learn more about our work and team culture, visit here.

Opportunity Overview:

As a member of the J-PAL North America team, you’ll be part of a Nobel-prize winning scientific movement that can transform US policy making. The Events & Operations Associate reports to the Events Manager and contributes to the design, planning and execution of a wide-variety of inclusive in-person, hybrid, and virtual events, meetings, and training programs aimed at promoting the production and use of rigorous evidence. The Events & Operation Associate’s primary tasks will involve external event planning and operations and event analysis, reporting and systems maintenance. They will also coordinate internal events, meetings, and retreats and support some office operations. For this position, we are looking for candidates with at least 2 years of event planning experience, excellent attention to detail, strong organizational, time-management, and oral and written communication skills. Experience in Salesforce, Asana, or other project management systems, is also preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

Event Planning and Implementation
- Contributes to planning and implementation for multiple, complex external events with competing deadlines, including researcher and policymaker facing events such as Research Staff Training, Artemis, Learning Labs, and convenings, as well as internal staff meetings and events.
- Organizes event logistics and operations, including arranging facilities and event details such as catering, entertainment, transportation, zoom/av equipment, promotional materials, etc.
- Collaborates with event speakers on content development and coordinates with them to obtain event content and set timelines.
- Anticipates and coordinates travel and visa requirements for speakers and participants.
- Identifies, interviews and evaluates potential vendors. Gets quotes, negotiates and confirms vendor contracts, including space, furniture, equipment, food services, publishing services, and other event specific arrangements as needed. Conducts planning meetings with caterers, venue contacts, and vendors.
- Trains and directs staff or volunteers on specific events/assignments.
- Serves as a technical and logistical resource for events, and as primary point of contact for event speakers/participants; plans the run of show and troubleshoots any emerging problems on the event day.
- Ensures compliance with MIT health and/or safety requirements.
- Travels and works nights and weekends as required.
Event Analysis & Reporting
- Maintains organizational databases and systems for effective event planning, registration, budgeting, and reporting.
- Tracks and reconciles event budgets and reviews and secures approval for items outside of planned budgets.
- Creates new documentation of event policies, processes, and work flows as needed.
- Evaluates ongoing and new events and recommends and implements changes/improvements for future events based on feedback.
- Creates documentation of any new policies, processes, or work flows as needed.
Office management/Other duties
- Coordinates some limited operational activities for J-PAL North America, such as mail, office-wide calendars, facilities management, and F&O team activities.
- Performs other duties as assigned.

Compensation & Benefits:

This full-time, exempt position is classified by MIT as an Events Planner 1, SRS role. Please find the current pay range for this position with the job posting on MIT’s career website. This is a fixed market-based salary range and the starting salary MIT offers any candidate will be based on their experience relative to others in similar roles at MIT.

J-PAL North America staff are MIT employees, which means they are eligible for a wide array of institutional benefits. Some of these MIT benefits include comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match plus a pension-based retirement plan, tuition assistance up to $5,250 per calendar year, commuter benefits, access to MyLifeServices, a generous vacation policy (3 weeks of paid vacation in your first year, and 4 weeks every year after that, plus an additional 12+ paid Institute-wide holidays per year and an end of year break), paid leave for sick time, maternity and parental leave, back-up child care benefits and much more.

Professional Development Opportunities:

J-PAL North America supports a culture of learning, with opportunities to attend weekly seminars, engage in small-group discussions with other J-PAL staff, participate in workshops, or take classes for credit at MIT or elsewhere with our generous tuition assistance program.

Qualifications:

Education: This position requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Experience: At least 2 years of event planning or program/project management experience required. Experience with planning and executing a mix of in-person, fully virtual and/or hybrid events is preferred.
Technical Skills: Actively demonstrates the skills necessary to successfully execute tasks to which they are assigned, including the ability to create and manage event plans and budgets. Ability to use Microsoft office and/or Google applications. Knowledge of Salesforce and Asana (or other project management systems) is helpful. Experience using social media for events is a plus.
Ownership of Work: Takes responsibility/is accountable for effectively completing assigned tasks or projects with high attention to detail. Produces high quality work in the time expected; identifies and follows up with manager and other stakeholders as needed to ensure assignments are completed on time. Takes initiative and offers ideas for new ways to approach work.
Written Communication: Accurately and succinctly communicates in writing, including the ability to draft grammatically correct, cohesive emails, memos and reports, and prepare content for slides and promotional materials.
Oral Communication: Demonstrates strong active listening skills and accurately and succinctly communicates information orally to staff and other key stakeholders.
Task & Project Management: Takes on process-oriented tasks, plans and organizes work, coordinates with others, establishes appropriate priorities and timelines, exercises follow through, and adds overall value to the process.
Problem Solving/Decision Making: Demonstrates adeptness at analyzing facts, judgment, and strong decision-making ability. Responds to problems, issues, and opportunities that are identified by supervisors. Collaborates to identify a solution or response.
Commitment to Mission & Values: Demonstrates a commitment to J-PAL North America’s mission and values.
Travel: Willingness and ability to travel as needed locally and in the US (usually minimal) to attend events or participate in meetings.

Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), North America jobs

Events and Operations Associate