Program Assistant, Visual Arts

Mellon Foundation

Program Assistant, Visual Arts, Arts and Culture

Please note that interviews for this position will take place in January 2026.

The Mellon Foundation ("Foundation") is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks a Program Assistant for our Arts and Culture team.

Position Summary :

Reporting to a Senior Program Associate, the Program Assistant will provide programmatic and logistical support to the Senior Program Associate, their supervising Program Officer, and the broader Arts and Culture team. The successful candidate will be thoughtful, highly motivated, energetic, collaborative, and congenial, with well-developed communication and organizational skills. The work is detail-oriented and requires strong organizational and communication skills, flexibility, cool-headedness, effective time-management, precision, patience, efficiency, and discretion.

Position Description :

Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to the following :

Grants Management :

• Serving as a liaison for prospective and existing grantees alongside the Senior Program Associate and the Program Officer, by participating in meetings and site visits
• Participating in building a grant portfolio of new and renewal funding proposals under the direction of the Senior Program Associate and their supervising Program Officer
• Monitoring the progress of proposals from first receipt to approval, including their timely tracking and management in Fluxx, the Foundation's grants management system, and communicating with grantees as directed about the progress of their proposals in line with Foundation deadlines
• Carefully reviewing grant reports and requests for modifications, extensions, and transfers, correspond with grantees about successes as well as challenges, alert program colleagues regarding key activities or difficulties, and follow up as appropriate
• Working with other Foundation departments to ensure timely delivery and processing of grant-related information for proposals, reports, and modifications, and facilitate rapid response to internal questions as they arise
• Traveling to site visits, conferences, and other engagements, as needed

Administrative Duties :

Qualifications :

The ideal candidate would hold a bachelor's degree, preferably in the arts or humanities, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Applicants should possess :

And, ideally, the following professional knowledge :

The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organizational need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.

Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Mellon offers a generous total reward package that includes base salary and a comprehensive benefits program, as well as an excellent working environment. Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $80,000 - $85,000. The amount of pay offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate's contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation's internal pay equity framework.

Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with three days per week in person at the Foundation's Manhattan offices.

Candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter describing fit for the position and a resume by 12 / 15 / 2025. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.