Deputy Chief of Staff

AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROMEDeputy Chief of StaffLocation: New York, New YorkReports to: Chief of Staff Founded in 1894, the American Academy in Rome is a leading American overseas center for independent study and advanced research in the arts and humanities. Each year, the Academy awards the Rome Prize to approximately 30 artists and scholars who join a dynamic, transdisciplinary residential community on the Academy’s eleven-acre campus on the Janiculum Hill—enriched further by invited Residents and Visiting Artists and Scholars, reaching a community of approximately 100 at any given time. Fellows and Residents have gone on to earn 79 Pulitzer Prizes, 63 MacArthur Fellowships, 5 Nobel Prizes, and 5 Pritzker Prizes, among many other distinctions. The OpportunityThe Deputy Chief of Staff runs the day-to-day operation of the American Academy in Rome’s Board of Trustees and serves as a generalist within the Executive Office. Roughly half of the role sits with supporting the coordination of the Board of Trustees and its committees; the remainder is deployed against the institutional priorities that most need coordination at a given moment. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff manages the full annual cycle of board and committee activity — approximately 30 meetings each year, including three full convenings of the Board of Trustees (two in New York, one in Rome) — from calendar and materials through minutes and next steps. Within AAR’s governance structure, the President and CEO leads the trustee relationship and the Chief of Staff is the senior staff point of contact on substantive institutional matters. The Deputy Chief of Staff runs the day-to-day function and serves as the Trustees’ first point of contact on administrative matters, routing substantive or sensitive questions to the Chief of Staff and the President. The balance of the role’s bandwidth is institutional. The position leads or supports discrete cross-departmental projects and, more generally, gravitates towards areas of institutional need. Success in this role will be defined by well-run board and committee meetings, materials that reach Trustees complete and on time, a governance record and policy suite maintained to a high standard, Trustees who feel well served, and the reliable completion of institutional projects that cross departmental lines. Key ResponsibilitiesWorking closely with the Chief of Staff and the President and CEO, the position will lead: Board and Committee OperationsManage the annual calendar of board and committee meetings — approximately 30 per year, including three full meetings of the Board of Trustees — including scheduling, venue, logistics, and technical coordination for both in-person and virtual convenings.Draft agendas, board books, resolutions, and supporting materials in coordination with relevant staff liaisons and Chief of Staff.Ensure accurate and timely distribution of materials in advance of every meeting.Prepare the run of show for in-person board meetings and offer real time support.Track board and committee action items between meetings and drive follow-through with the Chief of Staff and relevant staff leads.Draft and maintain minutes, resolutions, and the governance record of the institution.Coordinate with committee chairs and their staff liaisons, including drafting of materials and management of committee work between meetings, to best prepare board committee meetings.Maintain the governance policy suite, including conflict of interest, document retention, and administer the annual disclosure cycle.Maintain trustee records, the board roster, and contact information. Trustee RelationsServe as the day-to-day staff contact for trustees on scheduling, materials, and administrative matters.Route substantive or sensitive matters raised by trustees to the Chief of Staff and the President and CEO.Coordinate with the Executive Coordinator on board meeting logistics and related administrative support. Institutional Projects and Cross-Departmental CoordinationLead discrete institutional projects assigned by the Chief of Staff, convening colleagues across departments and driving the work to completion.Prepare briefings, research, and analysis to support decision-making by the President and CEO and the Executive Leadership Team.Support coordination between the New York and Rome offices on institutional projects. Executive Office SupportDeputize for the Chief of Staff on operational and governance matters as required, including during periods of travel.Write briefings for the President’s governance and institutional engagements — trustee conversations, peer institutions, partners, and other meetings where the substance is the institution rather than a gift — working from the Executive Coordinator’s calendar look-ahead.Coordinate with Development where a meeting carries both governance and philanthropic dimensions, so that the President receives a single brief rather than two.Contribute to Executive Office planning, process improvement, and institutional knowledge management. Qualifications RequiredBachelor’s degree required.Minimum of 5–8 years of progressively responsible experience in a role requiring independent judgment, senior stakeholder contact, and ownership of complex recurring processes.Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce documents for a senior audience that require minimal revision.Demonstrated ability to manage a demanding calendar of recurring commitments end-to-end — scheduling, materials, logistics, and follow-through — without dropped threads.Demonstrated project management experience.Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential material, and the instinct to recognize which matters require escalation.A low-ego, service-oriented approach to the work, with genuine willingness to move between substantive institutional projects and the detailed administrative work that a well-run Executive Office depends onPoise and professionalism in working with senior leaders and high-profile external stakeholders.Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to hold a heavy meeting calendar alongside substantive project work.Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.Flexibility to participate in calls in off-hours to accommodate colleagues in Rome, and to work some evenings and weekends as required by board meetings and events.Genuine enthusiasm for the Academy’s legacy and mission. PreferredDirect experience staffing a board of trustees or senior committees, including preparation of materials and drafting of minutes.Experience in a nonprofit, cultural, academic, or other mission-driven institution.Familiarity with governance practice, including committee structure, policy administration, and trustee onboarding. Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate will be an exceptionally organized and discreet professional, equally comfortable running a complex meeting calendar and drafting a resolution. They will possess the judgment to know which matters belong with the Chief of Staff and the President, the writing ability to produce documents that reach Trustees without revision, and the initiative to move institutional projects forward across departments where they hold no formal authority. They will bring a low ego to the work. The Executive Office runs on the briefing that informs a decision and on the binder assembled the night before, and the people who do well here take the same care with both. They will bring reliability, poise, and a service orientation toward trustees, alongside the curiosity and ambition of someone who wants to understand how a complex international institution is governed and run. Compensation & LocationThis position is based in New York, New York, with at least one annual trip to the Academy’s campus in Rome. The Academy operates on a hybrid schedule: Tuesday through Thursday are in-office days, with the option to work remotely on Monday and Friday. AAR offers a comprehensive benefits package. Salary range: $95,000–$105,000, commensurate with experience. To ApplyCandidates should submit a resume and a letter of interest to nycareers@aarome.org with “DEPUTY COS” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The American Academy in Rome is an Equal Opportunity Employer. AAR believes that a diverse community makes for a stronger institution, and actively encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. We are committed to a hiring process that is equitable, inclusive, and free from bias, and to building a leadership community that reflects the breadth of the artistic and scholarly traditions we support.