The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a federation of 10 Member Societies which in turn have about 120,000 members across the globe. Founded in 1931, AIP is a federation that advances the success of our Member Societies and an institute that engages in research and analysis to empower positive change in the physical sciences. Our overarching strategy is to advance the physical sciences with a unifying voice of strength from diversity. We want you to become a part of our mission and join our dynamic team!

SUMMARY:

AIP is looking for a Historian to join its history program within the new AIP Research team. The Historian’s work will support AIP’s goal to advance the physical sciences enterprise through research and analysis aimed at improving the understanding of the past and promoting future progress. The Historian is responsible for conducting research in the history of the physical sciences, writing and editing content that is both accessible and sophisticated, developing web-based resources, and liaising with the history and physical sciences communities.

The Historian will share responsibilities for managing and contributing to AIP’s renowned oral history program, developing a new communications vehicle for AIP’s history programs, and programming compelling live events. The Historian will be integral to efforts to build up AIP’s history programs — and AIP Research as a whole — as a recognized hub of authoritative research and expertise on the physical sciences enterprise. The Historian will report to AIP’s Director of Research in History, Policy, and Culture and collaborate with AIP’s historians, social scientists, librarians, archivists, science writers, and policy analysts.

Come join a team of energized, charismatic, collaborative, and passionate individuals and help make a difference through the physical sciences!
 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Contribute to research and writing projects selected by the director, and independently propose and manage other projects. These projects will mainly be web-based historical resources that adhere to high standards of scholarly quality and are accessible and engaging to a wide range of stakeholders in the physical sciences community and beyond.
• Contribute to grant proposals to seek external funding from federal agencies, nonprofit foundations, and donors.
• Publish one short article on AIP’s digital platform every few weeks, as well as contribute to the publication of the AIP’s semiannual History Newsletter. Publication opportunities will also be available in other AIP products such as Physics Today and the FYI science policy news service.
• Arrange and conduct oral history interviews, contribute to the administrative work necessary to publicly post oral history transcripts, and collaborate on continuous improvement efforts for oral history programs and workflows.
• Help organize AIP’s public event series for history and occasional conferences and workshops.
• Work with external stakeholders, including stakeholders from AIP Member Societies, cultural history professionals, and a wide range of physical sciences stakeholders to develop strategies for documenting history and promoting AIP’s work in history with different audiences.
• Contribute to the strategic development of AIP’s history portfolio in support of AIP’s work to advance the physical sciences with a unifying voice of strength from diversity; depending on experience and staffing levels, the Historian may have supervisory responsibilities over interns and research staff.
• Give talks and presentations on research and programs at relevant meetings and events and publish in peer-reviewed journals as appropriate.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• Individuals with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field and who have at least three years of relevant experience, or individuals with a PhD in a relevant field. Experience in history of science with a focus in the modern physical sciences or science policy is preferred, but individuals with backgrounds in fields such as philosophy, sociology, or anthropology of science, or science policy will also be happily considered.
• An ability to write clearly, cogently, and analytically, and a writing/publication record sufficient to gauge writing abilities.
• Strong organizational abilities; experience planning, managing, and coordinating complex projects; responsiveness in communications conscientiousness toward colleagues; and an ability to meet both short-term and long-term deadlines.
• Comfort in working with important stakeholders, including in scientific societies, universities, museums and archives, and government science agencies and labs.
• A willingness to undertake occasional travel, including international travel, for research and oral history purposes, conferences, and other events.
• An ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
• Optionally, an ability to work with data (e.g., historical budget data, demographic data) and in digital media.

TO APPLY:

Include a resume and a cover letter. We encourage you to apply even if your experience does not fully match the position description; at AIP we embrace considering people from a diversity of backgrounds and career experiences.

WHY JOIN US:

AIP embraces a flexible hybrid work environment to balance in-person collaborative work with remote work. The team works in a flexible, hybrid schedule and reports to our offices in College Park, Maryland and Washington, DC, as needed. Employees are required to reside in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC.

We offer comprehensive benefits, including generous paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, an annual retirement contribution of 10% of base pay, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, and more.

Your colleagues at AIP are welcoming, gracious, and eager to help each other succeed. With our commitment to community service, institute-wide social opportunities, and ongoing learning and development, AIP is a rewarding place to work.

ABOUT AIP:

The American Institute of Physics is a dynamic, forward-thinking 501(c)(3) membership corporation of scientific societies. Our mission is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP is a trusted and reliable source of information and analysis and is a center of excellence that advances the physical sciences enterprise through research and analysis aimed at improving the understanding of our heritage and promoting future progress.

Diversity welcome! Diversity is integral to our mission and is ingrained in everything that we do at AIP. We encourage and invite people of all backgrounds to apply and join our team. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, creed, marital status, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, personal appearance, national origin, ancestry, protected veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

AIP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer
EOE, including disability/Vets