The Phi Beta Kappa Society
Associate Secretary
Position Description
The Phi Beta Kappa Society invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Associate Secretary. The Associate Secretary acts as the chief operating officer of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Since its founding in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa has celebrated excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and championed freedom of thought. As America’s most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa is uniquely equipped to advocate for the value of liberal arts and sciences education. The mission of the Phi Beta Kappa Society is to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, to foster freedom of thought, and to recognize academic excellence.
Phi Beta Kappa
• Advocates for the importance of liberal arts and sciences education, especially through the National Arts & Sciences Initiative
• Honors the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates at over 290 top colleges and universities across the nation
• Grants lifelong membership through a highly selective, merit-based invitation process that takes into consideration academic success and breadth of study
• Connects members to a network of high achievers who are active in science and health care, business and technology, the arts and humanities, and law and philanthropy
• Offers members quarterly publications and monthly newsletters, which provide perspectives on public affairs, literature, science, history, culture, and career development
• Provides opportunities to participate in exciting programs offered by the national office and local chapters and alumni associations
• Recognizes the exceptional achievement of writers and scholars in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics
Phi Beta Kappa recognizes academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Only 10 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. These chapters select the top 10 percent of their liberal arts and sciences graduates to join the Society, making Phi Beta Kappa membership one of the most prestigious honors a student can achieve. About 20,000 outstanding undergraduate liberal arts and sciences graduates become members each year through chapters at 293 colleges and universities in the U.S. Phi Beta Kappa has added over 100 chapters in the last 40 years. As of 2024, Phi Beta Kappa has chapters at:
• 91 small liberal arts colleges
• 94 private universities
• 108 public universities
The Associate Secretary acts as the chief operating officer of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. In this role, the Associate Secretary:
• Reports directly to the Secretary
• Provides general support of the work of the Secretary in advancing Phi Beta Kappa’s mission
• Serves as the Society’s Chief Operating Officer with responsibilities for human resources management, and financial and budgetary operation
• Serves as liaison to the Phi Beta Kappa Senate (the Society’s board of directors)
• Oversees the general day-to-day operations of the national office, in collaboration with the Society staff of approximately 20
• Leads planning for the celebration of the Society’s 250th anniversary
• Provides support for the Senate’s Futures Task Force which is reviewing the requirements for election to membership
• Collaborates with and serves as a resource for the staff responsible for Society programs
• Provides strategic direction for a significant upgrade to the membership data base
• Coordinates fundraising with an external development consultant
• Serves as liaison to the board of the Phi Beta Kappa Foundation, the external investment consultant, the investment committee and investment managers
• Participates with the Secretary, program directors and others to develop and oversee the annual budget
• Collaborates with external accounting and tax firms
• Interacts with the Society’s legal counsel, and other external contacts including vendors and bankers
• Manages member relations with member services support staff
• Participates in planning and convening the Society’s Triennial Council, the meeting of the Society’s legislative body
• Occasionally represents the Society at events, conferences and other outside efforts, with, or in lieu of, the Secretary
• Directly supervises staff with responsibility for information technology, member relations and membership records, communications and social media, and management and maintenance of the headquarters building.
Qualifications:
The key qualifications and attributes of the successful candidate include:
• Advanced degree and Phi Beta Kappa membership preferred
• Significant background in management positions, with nonprofit organization experience preferred, such as with higher education institutions, foundations, membership associations or government agencies
• Demonstrated passion and commitment to Phi Beta Kappa’s mission and ideals and to the liberal arts and sciences
• Clear evidence of the ability to supervise teams, and willingness to work collaboratively, in a collegial and diplomatic manner in a small-office environment, and to interact successfully with a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Exceptional ability to problem-solve, with flexibility, creativity, imagination, tact and decisiveness, in collaboration with others
• Outstanding organizational ability, allowing for the successful development, execution, and timely completion of multiple projects concurrently, including those with multi-year timetables
• Clear capacity to attend to detail, prioritize projects, and achieve timely results, while maintaining an attitude of flexibility
• Knowledge of and interest in financial aspects of nonprofit management
• Knowledge of and interest in membership outreach
• Exceptional written and oral presentation skills
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals
• Exceptional written and oral presentation skills.
More information about Phi Beta Kappa and the Associate Secretary search, including full lists of responsibilities and qualifications, is available at: https://www.academicsearch.org/open-searches-public/entry/20047/?search=20047
How to Apply
The position is open until filled but only applications received by Thursday, January 2, 2025, can be assured full consideration.
Phi Beta Kappa and Academic Search, which is assisting in this search, will keep all nominations, applications, and inquiries confidential. All applications must include a letter of interest, full resume/curriculum vitae and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of five professional references (who will not be contacted without permission).
Please submit all materials to PBKAssociateSecretary@academicsearch.org
Confidential discussions about this opportunity may be arranged by contacting consultants Ann Die Hasselmo (Ann.Hasselmo@academicsearch.org) and Chris Butler (Chris.Butler@academicsearch.org). Further information about The Phi Beta Kappa Society is available at https://www.pbk.org.
Phi Beta Kappa is an equal opportunity employer and seeks a diverse pool of candidates for this position.
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