The Camera Culture group focuses on making the invisible visible—inside our bodies, around us, and beyond—for health, work, and connection. The goal is to create an entirely new class of computational and sensory platforms that have an understanding of the world that far exceeds human ability and produce meaningful abstractions that are well within human comprehensibility.

The Administrative Assistant will manage complex administrative matters for the Camera Culture research group and associate director of the Media Lab, Ramesh Raskar, function as a high-level coordinator of the Decentralized Society + Web3 Project, and serve as an information resource on all projects and productions.

The Media Lab is currently working on a hybrid work schedule – 60% on campus in Cambridge, 40% remote.

Responsibilities

Project Coordination 50% (20 hours per week)

Support the Decentralized Society + Web3 Project under the direction of Ramesh Raskar, Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, Neha Narula focusing on three emerging areas: (1) digital currencies, (2) decentralized AI, and (3) computational privacy and security.

●      Develop integrated project plans and archives;

●      Coordinate logistics including budgets, contracts, timelines, reporting, and liaising with partners;

●      Manage, organize, and execute large (200+) to small (10-20) events for innovators, students, alumni, and distinguished guests; solicit competitive bids and negotiate contract/pricing with vendors.

●      provide administrative and production assistance for academic course;

●      Ensure all messaging and visuals are consistent and tailored for intended audience; draft and/or edit communications, including event invitations, newsletter, social media content, and emails, take rough drafts of blogs and bring them to a version suitable for final edits, and explain fundraising aspect of participation in projects to keep sponsor companies informed of group activities;

●      Write reports, including post-meeting write ups and follow ups, create slides for presentations for external partners and internal meetings;

Administrative Support for Camera Culture 50% (20 hours per week)

Financial 25%

●      Manage day-to-day spending for group according Media Lab Finance and MIT procedure and compliance policy, such as

○      reconciliations of expenses, expense reimbursements, complex purchase orders and contracts, independent contractor coordination, Financial Review & Control (FRC) reports, accounts payables, maintain all records, invoices, receipts, and the like according to MIT’s record retention policy, etc.;

○      Responsible for use of MIT Procurement and Travel credit cards for group according to Media Lab Finance and MIT procedure and compliance policy;

●      Initiate PIPI form for grant applications

●      Work with the Fiscal Officer to review budgets and spending regularly.

Administrative 25%

●      Schedule and coordinate PI and group calendars; including monitoring deadlines and important events;

●      Coordinate travel logistics, reservations, detailed travel itineraries and coordinate/process reimbursement for travel expenses;

●      Coordinating and arranging meetings, workshops, conferences to include: logistics such as securing space, initiating and coordinating online conferencing, catering set up and breakdown, scheduling, workshop materials ordering and shipping, support event activities and such;

●      Maintain, update, and ensure group’s team and project web pages are up to date;

●      Draft, proofread and edit documents, such as letters of recommendation;

●      Coordinating and facilitating communications (in-person, virtual, telephone, etc.) and meetings with collaborators, both domestic and international.

●      Serve as an information resource for group members;

●      Maintain records and contacts related to UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program), and other affiliated staff;

●      Supports onboarding activities for new group members such as keys, mailing lists, etc.

●      Handling general office duties as needed and assigned.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Skills:

REQUIRED:

●      High School diploma or equivalent;

●      Five years’ experience as an administrative assistant or related experience;

●      Excellent organizational and verbal and written communication skills;

●      Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a creative and diverse group of people including researchers, students, corporate sponsors, and administrators;

●      Strong organizational and customer service skills;

●      Effective communicator with excellent verbal and written communications skills;

●      Exercises discretion, diplomacy, and tact;

●      Adept at using communication tools such as Slack;

●      Excellent computer skills including proficiency with Google Workspace, and comfortable learning new software.

PREFERRED:

●      Associate or Bachelor’s degree

●      MIT business apps: Microsoft Office, SAPgui, Concur, Google Workspace, Dropbox

This is a full-time hybrid position working at least three days on campus, including Wednesdays.

This is a one-year appointment, with the possibility of extension based on funding and the course of the research.

Application material must include a cover letter.