Career Opportunities

Director of Operations

The Abigail Adams Institute (AAI), located in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is seeking an enthusiastic, highly organized, and self-driven Director of Operations (DO) to manage all aspects of our operations, including programs, finances, and donor relations.

AAI is an independent scholarly center dedicated to promoting open and civil inquiry at Harvard and other leading universities in the Boston area. Through engaging programming such as reading and discussion groups, workshops, intellectual retreats, lectures, and mentorship opportunities, AAI cultivates a cross-disciplinary environment with events that supplement students’ formal academic courses. Inspired by Abigail Adams—whose wisdom, insight, and commitment to education deeply impacted the early development of our nation—AAI is dedicated to fostering an intellectual community that understands the profound role of the humanities in the pursuit of wisdom and the good life.

The Role

As DO, you will play a key role in overseeing the Institute’s day-to-day operations, financial management, donor relations, and organizational logistics. The DO helps manage the team, aligning all aspects of the program to optimize the mission and outreach. This is a unique opportunity to refine your nonprofit administration skills while engaging with a community that values intellectual growth. You will also enjoy access to AAI’s enriching programming, offering continuous intellectual formation alongside your professional responsibilities.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Accounting & Financial Management:

Oversee the Institute’s bookkeeping and work with external accountants to ensure smooth financial operations.
Manage financial reporting for grants and maintain the annual budget.
Ensure compliance and coordinate the annual audit.
Utilize your IT skills to keep financial processes running efficiently.

Development & Grant Management:

Assist with grant applications, including narrative reporting and new proposals, and administer grants.
Donor outreach and participation in fundraising campaigns.
Maintaining up-to-date donor information in our CRM system.

Human Resources:

Integrate professional development and growth opportunities.
Manage payroll and compliance.
Help onboard research assistants, interns, and new employees.

General Administration:

Optimize and leverage strategic opportunities.
Streamline data collection and management.
Develop and steward donor relations.

Event Planning & Management:

Coordinating with fellow staff, faculty, students, and other organizations to plan and execute events.

What We’re Looking For:

Bachelor’s degree.
Ability to align and lead teams.
Strategic mindset
Strong experience in Excel, with curiosity and ability to quickly master new platforms.
Exceptional attention to detail and strong communication skills.
A self-starter with the ability to juggle multiple projects and work independently.
Familiarity with QuickBooks or other accounting software is a plus.
Understanding of GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and nonprofit accounting principles is desirable but not required.
Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as needed is a must.

Preferred Experience:

1-2 years of bookkeeping or grant management experience is ideal, but we are open to training candidates eager to learn.
1-2 years of event planning and management experience is also a bonus.

Why You Should Apply:

You’ll be part of a passionate, intellectually vibrant community that is committed to reinvigorating traditional liberal arts education.
You’ll develop valuable administrative skills while receiving continuous intellectual formation through AAI's programs.
You’ll work in a collaborative and supportive environment in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary for this position is commensurate with experience and skills.

AAI offers paid time off in addition to the standard holidays.

To apply, submit your resume, cover letter, and the names/contact information of two references. Please compile all documents into a single PDF file and send them to Danilo Petranovich, Director of Operations, at director@abigailadamsinstitute.org.

We look forward to learning how your unique talents and experiences will help further the mission of the Abigail Adams Institute!

Pedagogy Lead & Resource Developer

The Role

The Pedagogy Lead & Resource Developer is a senior leadership position at the Practical Wisdom Project (PWP), responsible for driving instructional excellence, coherence, and innovation across all learning experiences, tools, and public-facing educational resources. A key member of the Wisdom at Work Project Leadership Team, the Pedagogy Lead plays a central role in translating research insights into effective professional learning experiences, ensuring that all pedagogical content—from facilitator training to digital tools to podcasts—is rooted in both scholarly rigor and practical relevance.

This individual will lead the development of high-quality, research-informed instructional content across four major strands: program delivery, design-based research integration, facilitator training, and a digital resource library. They will work closely with the Research Team, Project Manager, and external consultants to create tools that serve both practitioner and academic audiences. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced educator, instructional designer, or academic practitioner with a passion for bridging the worlds of research and teaching in service of flourishing school leadership.

What You’ll Be Doing:

1. Instructional Leadership & Program Design

Serve as the chief implementer and lead content designer across all pedagogical strands of the Wisdom at Work initiative
Develop and refine tools, protocols, and instructional resources that support the Deep Learning and Execution/Brokering phases of the PWAL program
Oversee and contribute to facilitator preparation and support, integrating participant feedback into future content
Ensure alignment between theory and practice in every element of teaching and learning, from workshop facilitation to resource development

2. Research Integration, Writing & Continuous Improvement

Collaborate with the Design-Based Research (DbR) Team to ensure instructional tools remain responsive to empirical findings and grounded in the evolving theory of practice
Translate research insights into accessible and actionable strategies for educators and leaders
Take a lead role in co-authoring or contributing to written products across the project—both academic publications and public-facing resources—ensuring pedagogical coherence, clarity, and rigor
Contribute to drafting case studies, practitioner tools, and reflective essays that accompany the PWAL framework and support broader dissemination efforts
Implement revisions and improvements to teaching resources based on research feedback loops and participant data

3. Facilitator Licensure Program Development

Co-design the structure and curriculum of the Facilitator Licensure Program (FLP), including developing training materials and a facilitator toolkit
Partner with external consultants specializing in online learning and facilitator development to ensure tools are scalable, high-quality, and user-friendly
Support training and capacity-building for future facilitators to ensure instructional fidelity and sustainability

4. Resource Curation & Dissemination

Curate and produce practitioner-facing tools for the PWAL Subscription Library, ensuring resources are relevant, beautifully designed, and pedagogically sound
Collaborate on the Wisdom at Work podcast and publication efforts by contributing written content, pedagogical framing, and editorial refinement
Work in close partnership with the Project Manager, who leads the communications strategy and engagement planning, to ensure that content reaches and resonates with key audiences across sectors

5. Community of Practice Support

Provide pedagogical leadership to sustain a dynamic Community of Practice among school leaders and facilitators
Develop instructional experiences that foster shared learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and collective growth
Model and promote best practices in online and hybrid learning environments tailored to adult learners

What We’re Looking For:

You are a seasoned educator, instructional designer, or scholar-practitioner with deep experience in creating transformational learning experiences for adults and a passion for scholarship. You are a strong and flexible writer with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging formats for both scholarly and practitioner audiences. You value both intellectual rigor and practical utility, and thrive in collaborative, mission-driven environments. You understand the power of research-informed pedagogy—and have a passion for helping others grow.

Preferred Experience

Master’s degree or higher in education, liberal arts or related field
Minimum 4 years’ experience in education, including teaching, leadership, or program design
Proven expertise in creating, refining, and delivering high-quality online learning experiences for professional or adult learners
Demonstrated excellence in writing and research, with experience contributing to both academic and public-facing publications
Experience translating research into practitioner-facing tools, publications, or curriculum
Familiarity with leadership development, Communities of Practice, or adult learning theory
Strong collaboration skills and a readiness to lead across functions and with consultants
A deep commitment to the mission and values of the Practical Wisdom Project

Why You Should Apply:

You’ll be part of a passionate, intellectually vibrant community that is committed to revitalizing formative school leadership, that nurtures and promotes flourishing and advances the research and cultivation of practical wisdom.
You’ll work with a dynamic, international team in a professionally focused environment in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary for this position is commensurate with experience and skills. AAI offers paid time off in addition to the standard holidays.

To apply, submit your resume, cover letter, and the names/contact information of two references. Please compile all documents into a single PDF file and send them to Karen Bohlin, Director of the Practical Wisdom Project, at kbohlin@abigailadamsinstitute.org.

Thank you.

Project Manager/Chief of Staff

The Role

The Project Manager / Chief of Staff plays a strategic and operational leadership role at the Practical Wisdom Project (PWP), stewarding a high-impact, grant-funded initiative while strengthening internal coordination, communications, and capacity across the organization. This is a unique opportunity for an early-career professional with experience in both education and the startup or nonprofit sectors to step into an entry-level Chief of Staff position with real leadership responsibility.

As Chief of Staff, you’ll work closely with the Executive Director to manage internal priorities, lead special projects, and support cross-functional collaboration and donor communications. As Project Manager, you’ll ensure the successful execution of the Wisdom at Work initiative: a multi-faceted project that includes building a research-practice partnership, refining a leadership education program, sustaining a community of practice, and co-creating research-informed resources such as articles and podcasts. You’ll manage project deliverables, oversee communications, track budgets and reporting, and support long-term growth and sustainability.

What You’ll Be Doing:

1. Strategic Operations & Internal Coordination (Chief of Staff duties – approx. 50%)

Serve as a strategic advisor and trusted thought partner to the Executive Director
Coordinate internal meetings, set agendas, and track organizational priorities
Strengthen internal communications and team alignment across workstreams
Lead cross-functional initiatives and ensure accountability on shared goals
Provide support for donor and partner engagement, including meeting prep and communications
Anticipate challenges and offer proactive solutions to improve operational effectiveness
Lead strategic communications planning and execution across the project, including messaging for initiatives, partnerships, and publications. Collaborate with AAI’s communications and operations staff to ensure consistency and visibility

2. Project Leadership & Grant Management (Project Manager duties – approx. 50%)

Lead planning and implementation of the Wisdom at Work initiative across all streams, fostering a vibrant, engaged Community of Practice committed to ethical and practical leadership in education
Manage a multi-year Research-Practice Partnership in collaboration with university and school-based partners
Support refinement and scaling of a leadership education program based on evidence-based best practices
Coordinate with the Pedagogy Lead and Research Team to support the development of research-informed deliverables—such as articles, podcasts, and tools for academic and practitioner audiences—while taking lead responsibility for the communications strategy that ensures effective dissemination and engagement
Track project milestones and ensure timely completion of deliverables with high quality
Manage narrative and reporting for funders in coordination with the AAI operations and finance team
Align work across external partners and internal departments to ensure clarity and momentum
Support professional development programming ramp-up in collaboration with the Pedagogy Lead and facilitation teams
Shape and implement engagement strategies for project publications and media, ensuring that the work of the Pedagogy Lead and Research Team reaches key audiences effectively
Contribute to long-term business development efforts, including funding strategy and stakeholder cultivation

What We’re Looking For:

You are someone who thrives in a dynamic, mission-driven environment. You bring excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills, and you’re excited to contribute to a high-functioning team committed to ethical leadership and flourishing in education. You are equally comfortable setting strategic priorities and rolling up your sleeves to execute details. You care about education, values-driven leadership, and translating research into real-world impact.

Preferred Experience

Minimum of 2 years’ experience in education (e.g., teaching, program development, educational research, or school-based leadership)
1–2 years’ experience in a fast-paced startup or nonprofit environment, ideally in operations, strategy, or program management
Experience managing multi-stakeholder projects and timelines; comfort with ambiguity and adaptive learning
Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello), Excel, Slack, Google Workspace, and basic budget tracking
Strong writing and editing skills for varied audiences
Understanding of or interest in research-practitioner partnerships in education
Experience with strategic communications or donor-facing work is a plus

Why You Should Apply:

You’ll be part of a passionate, intellectually vibrant community that is committed to revitalizing formative school leadership, that nurtures and promotes flourishing and advances the research and cultivation of practical wisdom.
You’ll work with a dynamic, international team in a professionally focused environment in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary for this position is commensurate with experience and skills. AAI offers paid time off in addition to the standard holidays.

Thank you.