Senior Manager (EXPIRED)

Berggruen Institute is launching a philosophical essay competition to find bold new thinkers and new ideas. The competition will be held annually and will award a prize of $50,000 to the best essay submitted. Through the competition, BI will challenge current ontologies and explore topics about our evolving human future and co-existence with and on our finite planet.

The Berggruen Institute’s mission is to develop foundational ideas and shape political, economic and social institutions for the 21st century. Our objective is enduring impact on the progress and direction of societies around the world. Among our signature programs is the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture awarded annually to a thinker whose ideas are shaping human self-understanding to advance humankind.

Senior Manager: ($95,000 - $120,000)

• Design and execute an international annual essay competition on a specific philosophical theme related to the work of the institute. Theme to be changed each year.
• Design the initiative in collaboration with Institute leadership identifying themes and potential jury members
• Develop outreach and communications strategy with the communications department, including application portal, social strategy to publicize the prize
• Identify key institutional partners to support syndication of the competition and execute outreach plan
• Develop submission polices, processes, and procedures for all areas of the essay prize, including timelines, word-count, and topic.
• Assist in annual topic selection as well as jury selection and recruitment
• Review all submissions to weed out unacceptable, inappropriate or simply poor essays
• Develop process for narrowing list to the top 50 essays and manage review process by leadership, Noema team and finally the jury to select the winner
• In collaboration with the events team, design and develop final event to involve finalists and jury members
• Oversee prize event and distribution of funds

 Requirements:

• PhD in philosophy, preferably with some knowledge of Eastern philosophical traditions
• 3-5  years experience in project management preferably in a project that required public outreach
• Excellent communication skills, including speed reading complex material
• Strong time-management skills, including ability to meet deadlines, set priorities among projects, and manage correspondence efficiently and decisively.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build close working relationships with colleagues, the jury and larger professional and scholarly community.
• Chinese language skills will be an advantage