Assistant Director, Bass Connections

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.

With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Be You.

Bass Connections - Duke University's signature program supporting collaborative, interdisciplinary research - is looking for an Assistant Director. In this role, you will help power one of Duke's most distinctive programs, bringing together hundreds of students, faculty, and staff to tackle complex societal challenges through year-long research teams, summer programs, courses, and interdisciplinary grants. Launched in 2013, the program now includes more than 70 year-long research projects per year and engages approximately 700 undergraduates, 200 graduate students, and 350 faculty and staff.

The Assistant Director of Bass Connections will support program administration, faculty and student orientation and engagement, event management, and communications. The position works across program operations and outreach to ensure the effective delivery, coordination, and continued growth of the program. This position reports to the Director of Bass Connections and is part of the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs.

If you enjoy work that blends program administration, academic coordination, and communication strategy, this role gives you the chance to drive meaningful impact at Duke.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree is generally required.
• At least two years of experience in higher education program administration or communications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting academic programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, or research-focused environments.
• Strong writing and editing skills with experience producing public-facing content.
• Experience managing events, coordinating multi-step processes, or engaging diverse stakeholders.
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to analyze program needs, solve problems proactively, and adapt processes over time.

Other Requirements

• This position is hybrid eligible. You must reside in a (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..
• Regular on-campus presence is required for meetings, events, and program activities.
• Occasional evening events may occur during peak program cycles.

Be Bold.

As the Assistant Director, you will play a central role across program administration, student engagement, faculty support, and communications.

Key responsibilities include:

Program Administration (50%)

• Consult with faculty team leaders to provide guidance on best practices, troubleshoot challenges, and support consistent student/faculty experiences across all Bass Connections teams.
• Identify and track affiliated courses, working with faculty to promote interdisciplinary learning opportunities and connect students to relevant academic pathways.
• Serve as theme administrator for the Bass Connections Open channel (10 projects), including monitoring team progress, tracking budgets and no-cost extensions, managing communications with faculty, and offering support as needed.
• Serve as back-up support for other theme administrators and provide guidance during staffing transitions.
• Support the travel management process for project teams, partnering with the program coordinator to assess travel risk, update policies, and ensure teams follow Duke's guidelines.
• Coordinate proposal submissions for grants and awards, manage reviews, prepare decision letters, and track funded projects and outcomes.
• Support student application cycles for year-long and summer project teams and support the process of establishing project teams for academic credit.
• Maintain participant and project databases, ensuring accurate data input and integrity for reporting and assessment.
• Support the Bass Connections Student Advisory Council or a similar student ambassador group, collaborating with the academic coordinator on recruitment, planning, and student engagement activities.
• Help recruit, train, and manage student assistants, as needed, who support administrative and communications functions.
• Develop and manage processes and content development for affiliated grants, fellowships, and courses such as:

• Collaborative Project Courses Faculty Fellows Program
• Collaborative Project Expeditions
• Interdisciplinary Project Management Graduate Academy

• Create and update content for the Bass Connections Team Resource Center, ensuring teams have high-quality guidance, templates, and tools.

Communications & Outreach (50%)

• Collaborate closely with the Bass Connections…