Job Advertisement: Digital BAAS 2024 Conference Manager (x2)
The British Association for American Studies (BAAS) is seeking two Conference Managers to oversee the planning and running of its 69th Annual Conference. This is our second conference to be hosted entirely remotely, and will be held online 10-12 April 2024. Please see the Call for Papers for more information about the conference.
The Conference Managers will be responsible for the successful preparation for, and running of, the digital conference in accordance with BAAS’s principles of inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. We conceive these roles as ideal positions for Early Career Academics or postdoctoral members of the BAAS community aiming to gain valuable transferable organisational experience.
As this is a job-share, we expect that the duties will be divided evenly between the two managers in liaison with the BAAS executive committee. We encourage both individual and joint applications for these roles.
Applications for these positions are particularly encouraged from under-represented groups in UK higher education, as part of BAAS’ active commitment to class, regional, racial, ethnic, gender and sexual diversity.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Researching digital events platforms and liaising with providers to build an accessible, user-friendly, and cost-effective conference platform
- Liaising with the BAAS executive committee to build a schedule of sessions and explore appropriate session formats
- Populating and maintaining the chosen conference platform, including uploading asynchronous materials, moderating discussion boards, scheduling sessions
- Providing technical support and guidance for speakers/contributors before and during the conference
- Compiling and disseminating publicity materials using appropriate channels
- Managing delegate registration and fielding associated queries
- Communicating with advertisers
- Managing the conference’s social media strategy up to and during the event
- Collecting and compiling delegate feedback (and basic analysis of user statistics) following the conference
Essential Criteria:
- Understanding of, and ongoing engagement with, the American Studies scholarly community and the work of BAAS
- Experience of organising large-scale events
- Excellent organisational and administrative skills
- Excellent digital communication skills
- Experience of web-management or digital event organisation
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Confirmed availability for the conference dates (10-12 April 2024) and in the weeks leading up to the conference
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience of organising academic and/or international events
- Working towards, or having achieved, a degree in American Studies or a closely related discipline
- A passion for sustainability and the environmental humanities
Employment Details:
£3,600 for an estimated 150 hours work between November 2023 and May 2024 (equivalent to £24p/hr), paid monthly pro rata. This will be a remote role with a flexible working pattern. Please note that the workload will not be evenly spread over these months, with the busiest period being in the weeks leading up to the conference.
To apply for this post:
Individual applicants: please attach a CV and a Cover Letter (no more than two pages long) explaining your suitability for this role.
Joint applicants: please attach individual CVs and a jointly-written Cover Letter (no more than three pages long) explaining your suitability for this role.
Please email these documents to chair@baas.ac.uk. Please direct any informal inquiries to Dr Lydia Plath, BAAS Chair, at chair@baas.ac.uk.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 13 October 2023. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place on 25 October 2023.