Scholars Strategy Network

JOB DESCRIPTION The Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) seeks a paid, part-time Membership Intern (or Fellow if the applicant is a graduate student) to support the Membership Team in engaging and growing our national network of scholars. SSN is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that connects journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders to America’s top scholars and their research. Our membership program supports over 2,000 scholars across the US in using their research to inform policy and strengthen democracy. This internship is an opportunity for a current undergraduate or graduate student to learn how a national membership organization supports scholars in their efforts to inform local policy. The Membership Intern will contribute to both programming tasks, like coordinating regular membership programming and communicating membership information to scholars, and administrative tasks, like uploading and updating member information and data cleaning. The Membership Intern is a part-time position with an hourly wage between $17-$20 per hour, commensurate with experience. The position requires a commitment of 15-20 hours per week, and will start in the spring and continue through the summer of 2026, with the possibility for extension. This position is fully remote and reports to SSN’s Director of Membership. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES As a large organization with a relatively small staff, SSN has a lean, productive Membership team that supports and creates opportunities for a large and growing network of over 2,000 members who work in colleges and universities across the US. SSN also supports a network of 37 chapters led by volunteer members. Among other tasks, the Membership Intern will support: Programming Responsibilities: - Coordinate Info Sessions: Set up and support biweekly SSN Info Sessions for prospective and incoming members, including creating registration pages using Salesforce’s EventSpark program, drafting invitations, assisting with Zoom logistics before and during the webinar, and tracking membership status. - Support Member Programming: Help run monthly membership Q&A Sessions and Virtual Coffee Hours for members, including creating registration pages using Salesforce’s EventSpark program, drafting invitations, assisting with Zoom logistics before and during the events, and sending follow-up materials. - Track Membership Progress: Monitor and update the status of incoming members throughout the membership process. Administrative Responsibilities: - Review Member Data: As new members join the organization or request updates to their profiles, review member bios, titles, headshots, and summaries of publications to ensure consistency with house style before publishing on the website. - Upload Membership Contributions: Add new member contributions (e.g., policy briefs, memos, public comments, testimony, and OpEds) to member profiles on the SSN website. - Welcome Members to the Network: Once scholars have completed the membership processes and have been uploaded to the website, send a welcome email introducing them to their local chapter leaders and sharing opportunities for engagement. - Update Salesforce Records: As information is moved from SSN’s Salesforce database over to the SSN website, update the status of Salesforce records. - Support Data Cleaning: Review member Salesforce lists for internal membership discrepancies and conduct outreach to members whose profiles are incomplete. QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate for this position would be: - An advanced undergraduate or a graduate student - Organized, detail-oriented, and willing to ask questions - An excellent writer and proofreader who can draft clear, professional emails and materials - Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Apps, and Zoom. Experience with Salesforce or other database management systems is a bonus. - Able to work on tasks independently in a remote work environment and communicate progress to team members - Experienced at working with academics or in an academic setting - Committed to SSN’s mission, interested in evidence-based policy, and eager to learn more about when and how research is used in policymaking SSN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. People of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates considering a career transition or whose skills and experience fulfill some, but not all of the qualifications above are encouraged to apply.

Trainings Associate The Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) seeks a Trainings Associate to contribute to the success and growth of SSN’s trainings program. This program furthers SSN’s mission by teaching scholars media and policy engagement skills that empower them to build relationships with policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists to ensure that research is used in policymaking. To do so, the trainings team develops and deploys in-person and virtual trainings to internal audiences, like SSN’s network of 30+ regional chapters, and external audiences, like academic institutions. In addition to delivering trainings, the Associate will play an important role in expanding SSN’s fee-for-service external trainings program by cultivating relationships with academic and partner organizations, helping to generate revenue for the organization. This is designed as an early-career position for an individual interested in improving connections between academia and policymaking and enthusiastic about teaching university-based researchers best practices for public engagement. The Trainings Associate is part of SSN’s trainings team and reports directly to SSN’s Director of Trainings. The Trainings Associate is a full-time position with an annual salary between $56,000-$62,000, based on qualifications and experience. SSN’s competitive benefits include generous time off, health insurance, professional development opportunities and resources, and a 403B retirement plan with an employer match. This position falls within the SSN employee union and is covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. The position will remain open until April 20th. SSN currently operates as a fully remote work environment. For employees located in Massachusetts, SSN provides the option to work at SSN’s main offices, located at 501 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116. All employees are expected to participate in person for annual staff gatherings. RESPONSIBILITIES As a large organization with a relatively small staff, SSN has a lean, productive trainings team that develops and deploys academic public engagement trainings for our growing network and for a growing number of external partners. Among other tasks, responsibilities of the Trainings Associate include: - Facilitate Trainings: The Associate will lead SSN trainings for host organizations around the nation, including local SSN chapters, universities, and foundations. Trainings are a mix of digital and in-person workshops covering a variety of communications and policy engagement topics, from concrete skills like op-ed writing to broader topics like the policymaking process. - Expand External Trainings Program: The Associate will identify and engage new groups of scholars and partner organizations, including academic centers, associations, and foundations, to grow SSN’s revenue-generating external trainings program. They will build and manage relationships with these partners and collaborate with them to design and deliver tailored training programs that meet their specific needs. The Associate will also work with the Director to develop and implement strategies for effectively promoting and expanding the reach of SSN trainings. - Coordinate Training Logistics: The Associate will manage the planning and execution of logistics for both virtual and in-person trainings across SSN programs. This will include working closely with a trainings intern or fellow, when available, as well as collaborating with staff across SSN’s policy, communications, chapters, and membership teams to ensure trainings are well-coordinated and run smoothly. The Associate will independently oversee scheduling, tracking, and coordination processes, using tools such as Asana, Salesforce, EventSpark, and Zoom to support efficient and accurate execution. - Evaluate Impact: The Associate will help capture and analyze data to evaluate the efficacy and impact of the trainings program over time. The Associate will use these insights to refine individual training modules and the overall training program. - Update Curriculum: The Associate will support the ongoing work of updating SSN curricula to reflect best practices, new research, and input from practitioners and experts. This will include identifying key findings that should be highlighted in new training modules or in updates of existing modules. The Associate will also work to ensure that existing and new trainings are accessible and useful to the full diversity of scholars in the academy. - Support Internal Learning: The Associate will work with the Trainings team to ensure that other SSN staff are aware of and understand the “use of research evidence” findings that form the infrastructure of SSN’s trainings and coaching strategies, so that the support that staff offer to scholars is research-based. They will act as the organization’s go-to expert on trainings, providing guidance and coaching, particularly to new team members, on both the content of SSN’s training modules and presentation best practices. - Coach and Support: The Associate will coach scholars on how to engage in the policy process, providing individual advice on relationship building, feedback on written documents, and training on the policy process. QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate will be a self-starter with a deep interest in making research matter and improving public policy. The ideal candidate for this position would be: - An individual with an advanced degree in political science, sociology, or other relevant field and 1-3 years of experience in training, policy advocacy, or organizing; or a bachelor’s degree in a social science field with more than 3 years of relevant experience. - An engaging and dynamic trainer with strong presentation and facilitation skills, passionate about helping others learn and apply new skills and knowledge. - Experienced in building and maintaining relationships with academic or professional partners and collaborating to design programs that meet their needs. - Someone with experience in or comfort with sales, marketing, and/or outreach to cultivate new partners and expand SSN’s revenue-generating trainings. - Skilled at collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to evaluate program impact and refine training content. - Someone with a solid understanding of policymaking processes (e.g., legislative processes, administrative/agency processes, implementation and evaluation, etc). - Comfortable with occasional paid travel (approximately once a month). - Highly organized and detail-oriented, with experience managing complex logistics for virtual and in-person events and proficiency with tools such as Google Workspace (Google Docs, Slides, etc.) and Zoom. Experience with Salesforce and/or Asana is a bonus. - Committed to SSN’s mission of promoting evidence-based policy by engaging and expanding our voluntary, federated network of researchers. SSN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. People of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates considering a career transition or whose skills and experience fulfill some, but not all of the qualifications above are encouraged to apply.

This description is a summary of our understanding of the job description. Click on 'Apply' button to find out more. Role Description The Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) seeks a Trainings Intern (or Fellow if the applicant is a graduate student) to support the Trainings Team in meeting the growing demand for our training program. The SSN training program helps scholars learn how to build relationships with policymakers, civic organizations, and journalists so that research produced by academics can be used to improve public policy. This internship is an opportunity for a current graduate or undergraduate student to learn about how to build connections between researchers and policy actors to support research-informed policymaking. The Trainings Intern or Fellow is a part-time position with an hourly wage between $17-$20 per hour, commensurate with experience. The position requires a commitment of 15-20 hours per week and will start in the spring and continue through the summer of 2026, with the possibility for extension. This position is fully remote and reports to SSN’s Director of Trainings. - Support coordination and execution of virtual and in-person SSN trainings, including scheduling, communicating with training partners, and managing key logistics - Assist with updating, formatting, and refining training materials and participant resources - Draft and send participant communications, including targeted invitations, promotional materials, and post-training follow-ups - Track attendance, compile survey feedback, and support evaluation of training impact - Observe and learn SSN’s policy and media trainings, with the opportunity to work toward co-leading a session - Take on additional projects and responsibilities based on experience, interest, and departmental needs Qualifications - An undergraduate student or graduate student - Committed to SSN’s mission, interested in evidence-based policy, and eager to learn more about when and how research is used in policymaking - A strong written and verbal communicator who can draft clear, professional emails and materials - Able to work on tasks independently in a remote work environment and communicate progress to team members - Organized, detail-oriented, and willing to ask questions - Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Dropbox, and Zoom. Experience with Salesforce and/or Asana is a bonus Company Description SSN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. People of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates considering a career transition or whose skills and experience fulfill some, but not all of the qualifications above are encouraged to apply.