Director Persian Studies Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Overview

The Public Outreach and Communications Coordinator will develop relationships with faculty, students, and staff; the international Iranian Studies community; public figures; and academic organizations to attract interest in the Mossavar-Rahmani Center from across campus and around the world, helping to solidify its reputation as a leading academic hub.

Reporting to the Center Manager and working with its director, researchers, and staff, the candidate will strategically advance the mission of the Center through public scholarship, various communications channels, and engagement projects. The incumbent will assist the director with academic planning and programming in support of this goal, and collaborate with staff on event planning and logistics.

Through the creation of digital media content, this position will promote Center programs, the work of affiliated faculty and researchers in the Center, and the study of Iran and the Persian Gulf more broadly, helping to make this work accessible to a broad audience. Candidates are expected to be fluent in Persian and have a broad understanding of contemporary Iran and the Persian Gulf, including experience in navigating the challenges posed by study of the region. The candidate should have knowledge in digital research projects, and tools, and display interest and expertise in public-facing scholarship. The successful candidate will also be expected to collaborate with colleagues across campus to share expertise on Center research and activities, new digital applications, resources, and training.

The candidate will be expected to support current Center projects and be responsible for building and maintaining an environment to enable the addition of future projects. The incumbent will need to work flexibly, independently, and collaboratively with colleagues, faculty, and students in a changing service-oriented environment. They should have a keen interest in the development of educational digital projects and the pedagogy and scholarship those projects afford. This position will also increase the awareness and utilization of digital methods to advance the exceptional resources in Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies and the scholarship of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies.

This is a two-year term appointment position with the possibility of a term renewal. This is an in-person position located in Princeton, NJ. This role will work a 10-month academic schedule with a prorated salary range of $57,500 - $64,166 based on the schedule.

Responsibilities

Assist Director with Academic Planning, Programming, and Department Outreach: Work with Director to solicit input and ideas from Center colleagues, past fellows, executive committee, and scholars across campus for speaker suggestions and programming ideas; Develop a community of faculty, staff, and students on and off campus interested in engaging with the Center and its broad scope of research; Develop an annual calendar of events incorporating projects, seminar & lecture series, workshops, conferences and cultural events, and support the planning and logistics of those events.

Public Scholarship and Engagement: Devise and implement strategies to engage students, researchers, and faculty in new methods of scholarship, digital publications, and interdisciplinary engagement with the Center; Collaborate with Center staff on new avenues and strategies for outreach and digital scholarship, including travel to academic associations and other conferences to build external relationships.

Campus outreach and collaboration: Establish cross-campus relationships with scholars and administrators to engage in interdisciplinary programming in an effort to develop the depth, breadth, and interest in Iranian studies and its relevance to the humanities, social sciences, arts, and public and international affairs. Devise and implement strategies to maintain this engagement with colleagues, students, and faculty to address contemporary issues in the field, new methods of scholarship, and the creation of digital publications, projects, and interdepartmental events.

Creation of public-facing media products under the Center's banner: (using Princeton's media facilities) Develop media/communications product(s) and work with colleagues on redesigning the website to integrate public scholarship work; Coordinate with Center researchers to produce public-facing media content about Iran and the Persian Gulf for distribution among communication channels, including the Center's website; Periodically work with the Near Eastern Studies librarian to utilize and publicize the exceptional resources/unique archival collections in Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton, creating tools for Center researchers to advance the scholarship of the Center.

Qualifications

Minimum 5 years experience in interdisciplinary studies related to Iran and the Persian Gulf in the contemporary world; 

  Master's degree required; PhD preferred 

Strong organizational and excellent service-oriented interpersonal skills;

Excellent academic research and writing skills

Fluency in Persian

Reliability, good judgment, leadership, and resourceful problem-solving skills

Ability to prioritize workflows and respond creatively to sensitive changing circumstances

Build and maintain strong cross-departmental and interdisciplinary connections across campus

Foster a collaborative and productive work environment and motivate colleagues to participate in Center projects outside of their research areas

Respond and develop communications plans for handling divisive and delicate public relations issues

Coordinate with Near Eastern Studies librarian on projects relating to Persian-language collections

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.

Standard Weekly Hours36.25Eligible for OvertimeNoBenefits EligibleYesProbationary Period180 daysEssential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)NoEstimated Appointment End Date8/15/2028Comments Related to End DateRenewable termPhysical Capacity Exam RequiredNoValid Driver's License RequiredNo Experience LevelAssociate#LI-CN1Salary Range$69,000 to $77,000Employment Type: FULL_TIME