Assistant Director, Disappearance Lab

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $67,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of the Lab, the Assistant Director will participate in Mexico’s Disappeared Practicum, an innovative graduate-undergraduate research course.  The Assistant Director will help with the broader planning and development of the course and will identify appropriate instructional strategies at the Department of Anthropology.

The Department of Anthropology provides a research platform for the comparative study of forced disappearance with a special and sustained focus on the case of Mexico.  In Mexico, a country with over 111,000 disappeared persons, where disappearance continues to be a daily occurrence, forced disappearance represents a sustained, perilous form of breakdown, both at the level of state and society. The Lab addresses this phenomenon, its political and economic dynamics, as well as the corrosive social effects of the silence that surrounds it.

This role is subject to continuous funding. 

Responsibilities

• Assists the Director with all logistics related to the Lab’s public programming including workshops and the annual conference.
• Closely collaborates with the Director and with a web designer to design, plan, and implement engaging and innovative techniques for presenting findings, including interactive maps and timelines.  Responsible for web content management such as articles, photos, and essays that the Lab commissions.
• Gathers information from current and previous research interactions of the practicum.  Prepares presentations, and ensures they are uploaded onto the Lab’s website.
• Serves as a liaison for the Lab and its affiliated research projects.  Coordinates between the course organizers and its partners in Mexico including, but not limited to the Supreme Court of Mexico, the Catholic Church's network of Casas del Migrante, and the Comisión Local de Busqueda de Personas Desaparecidas (CLBZ) in the state of Zacatecas.
• Assists with grant application processes, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, and collaborates with grant reporting. 
  • Produces financial reports showing grant fund allocation and usage.
• Participates in course meetings.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or two years of equivalent related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Science, Public Policy, Human Rights, Digital Humanities, or related field.
• Proficiency in reading and writing in Spanish.
• Familiarity with digital humanities methods.
• Ability to work primarily on-site.

Other Requirements

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain high confidentiality and professionalism with a client focus.
• Strong multi-tasking, prioritization, and organization skills.
• Attention to detail, research, critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Self-starter, a fast learner who can work independently under limited supervision.
• Work well in an interactive team environment.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.