Careers at American Ancestors

Grade 17, Non-exempt, Full Time, Hourly

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The full-time Member Services Associate fills a key role on our strong Member Services team, providing front-facing support to American Ancestors members and visitors. The Member Services team focuses on building strong relationships with our members and developing those relationships over time. The hours of this full-time, non-exempt, hourly position are Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00–5:00. The position is at our headquarters on beautiful Newbury Street in Boston and requires an on-site presence.

Some of our amazing benefits include; very generous paid time off, medical, dental, vision, 403(b) retirement plan, EAP, AFLAC, life insurance, and much more!

Primary responsibilities include:

• Provide customer service support to American Ancestors members by phone, email, and in-person interactions
• Perform initial troubleshooting steps to assist with technical questions and issues
• Effectively communicate knowledge of American Ancestors resources, services, events, and mission.
• Process customer orders for new and renewing memberships, and prepare materials for a variety of member services communications
• Bring a solution-driven approach to customer service and daily tasks, by identifying possible ways to improve website usability, database functionality, and office processes and procedures
• Participate in occasional American Ancestors Education and Advancement events as needed
• Play an active role in driving new member acquisition, renewals, and upgrade initiatives through collaborative and proactive engagement.
• Additional responsibilities as needed.

Desired Skills:

• 1-2 years experience in customer service and enthusiasm for helping people
• Ability to communicate with all levels of staff in a professional environment
• Ability to work in a team as well as accomplish projects independently
• High level of organizational skills and attention to detail
• Desire to contribute to a team with the potential to take on increased responsibilities
• Microsoft Office and Windows computer proficiency
• Excellent customer service skills, in person and by phone
• Familiarity with CRM database software (ex. Tessitura), data entry software is a plus

The American Ancestors Member Services Team is vital to the growth and support of a 180-year old institution as we develop our constituent base in an exciting time to be working in the field of family history.

Starting wage is $20.00 per hour, 35 hours per week

Please submit cover letter and resume to Michelle Major, Director of Human Resources michelle.major@americanancestors.org 

Please include your last name and Member Services Associate in the subject line of your email.

No phone calls please

Function of the Position:  

The Assistant Archivist supports the Special Collections Manager and Digital Archivist with the daily operation of the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections. R. Stanton Avery Special Collections collects, preserves, and provides access to manuscripts, archival materials, and rare books in the American Ancestors’ collection. The Assistant Archivist is responsible for processing manuscript collections, creating finding aids, producing MARC records, supporting preservation and access to the rare book collection, and assisting with Special Collections reference services. This is a full-time, non-exempt position, Tuesday through Saturday with regular on-site responsibilities at our beautiful headquarters on Newbury Street in Boston.
 
American Ancestors offers an outstanding benefits package including: 

• Generous paid time off and paid holidays
• Medical, dental, life, disability, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan
• AFLAC supplemental benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• A collaborative, mission-driven work environment 

  Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Arrange and describe manuscript items and collections to established standards such as DACS, and American Ancestors Special Collections policies and procedures - includes processing, preservation, and preparation of finding aids.
• Assist Special Collections Manager with accessioning newly acquired collections.
• Produce MARC records using OCLC’s Connexion, and Sierra Integrated Library System.
• Assist with reference services including reference desk coverage, the retrieval of manuscripts requested by patrons, the supervision of their use, and re-shelving.
• Support Special Collections Manager in the oversight of American Ancestors’ rare book collection.
• May research, write, and publish content about collections and department activities.
• Assist with photocopy requests, scanning, digital curation, and other tasks to support the activities of the department. 

Required Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree with archives management emphasis or concentration
• Minimum 1-3 years' experience processing archival or manuscript collections.

Skill and Qualifications: 

• Work experience with processing manuscript collections using MPLP/extensible processing methods.
• Demonstrated understanding of current archival theory and practice with knowledge of archival description standards and practices including DACS.
• Knowledge of MARC encoded formatting, RDA archival description standards, and the use of controlled vocabularies.
• Experience working with an archival content management system, preferably ArchivesSpace.
• Ability to lift 30 lb. boxes, to pull boxes from the top and bottom shelves, and to work in an environment where exposure to dust and mold is possible.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills and attention to detail.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently, cross-functionally, and collaboratively and effectively as a team member.
• Some knowledge of genealogy is helpful.

Salary range is non-exempt, $25-$27 per hour, 35 hours per week, commensurate with candidate's experience.

To Apply 

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Michelle Major, Director of Human Resources, at michelle.major@americanancestors.org

Please include your last name and Assistant Archivist in the subject line of your email.  

No phone calls please
 
 

Function of the Position:  

The Prospect Research and Portfolio Advisor plays a central role in driving strategic fundraising by identifying, evaluating, and tracking high-potential donors. This role combines traditional prospect research with cutting-edge data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide the development team with actionable insights. This is a full-time, non-exempt hourly position located at our beautiful location on Newbury Street in Boston. 

Some of the outstanding benefits for the full-time position include medical, dental, vision, AFLAC, life insurance, generous paid time off, paid holidays, Employee Assistance Program, tuition reimbursement, FSA, 403(b) retirement plan, and so much more!
 
Under the direction of the Director of Advancement, this role is responsible for managing donor pipeline development, optimizing major and leadership gift portfolios, and maximizing the effectiveness of fundraising strategies using advanced tools such as predictive AI platforms that aggregate donor behavior, wealth indicators, and philanthropic trends.
 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Prospect Research (40%)

• Conduct in-depth research using DonorSearch and other tools to build comprehensive donor profiles, including giving history, biographical data, affiliations, business interests, and philanthropic priorities.
• Prepare prospect summaries for gift officers and leadership ahead of donor meetings and events.
• Electronic screening: periodically have the names of new members, donors, event participants and other contacts screened through DonorSearch and record resulting information into constituent records on Tessitura. Analyze these discovery prospects, identify leadership, and major gift prospects, and recommend assignments to portfolios.
• Maintain up-to-date constituent records in the Tessitura, posting new intelligence and wealth indicators surfaced via AI and manual research.
• Strategize and support the moves management process and systems to ensure that donors receive timely touchpoints.
• Provide gift officers with opportunities of cultivation and stewardship touch points within each portfolio.
• Conduct research on corporations and foundations. Utilize relationship mapping tools to find key relationships between board and council members and institutions.

New Prospect Research Tools (30%)

• Leverage AI-based donor research platforms to identify high-potential individual, corporate, and foundation prospects based on predictive modeling, wealth indicators, behavioral patterns, and philanthropic likelihood scores.
• Utilize outputs to generate real-time donor insights, segment audiences for targeted cultivation, and prioritize outreach strategies.
• Collaborate with development leadership for gift officer pipelines and major gift planning.
• Continuously evaluate the performance and effectiveness of research tools; test new features, recommend upgrades, and help assess ROI for prospecting systems.
• Serve as the internal expert on donor research platforms, providing training to staff and recommending strategies for broader use.

Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Management (20%)

• Work closely with major gifts and planned giving staff to assign and balance portfolios based on capacity ratings, engagement scores, and stage of cultivation.
• Lead quarterly portfolio review meetings to assess donor progression, identify bottlenecks, and recommend strategies for stewardship or re-engagement.
• Produce portfolio dashboards, reports, and analytics to support decision-making, and frontline performance tracking.

Advancement Operations (10%)

• Serve as back-up to the Advancement Coordinator in the processing of gifts, pledges, and the generating of receipts and acknowledgments when the coordinator is unavailable and/or when the volume of incoming mail requires such assistance.
• Partner with colleagues in IT and digital engagement to ensure integration between AI systems, CRM, and communications tools.
• Assist with quarterly events and Annual Report as needed.
• Provide additional assistance to members of the Advancement Team as requested.
   

Skill and Qualifications: 

• A minimum of 3+ years prospect research, portfolio management, and data analysis experience in Advancement or a related field.
• Critical thinking skills related to evaluating prospect capacity and connection and to improving internal processes with a high level of efficiency and meticulousness.
• Proficiency with a broad range of research techniques, including asset evaluation and confirmation, assigning capacity ratings, and the use of other appropriate sources and methods.
• Proven ability to analyze and synthesize high volumes of information, using data in a strategic way.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously, while providing accurate, high-quality information under tight target dates.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues. Ability to build strong collaborative relationships across the Advancement office.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a complex organization.
• Experience with Tessitura CRM and DonorSearch screening tool or other sophisticated CRM database.

Salary: $33.00- $35.50 per hour 35 hours per week
 

To Apply 

Please send resume and a compelling cover letter, to Michelle Major, Director of Human Resources at michelle.major@americanancestors.org

No phone calls or recruiters please.

American Ancestors is a national center for family history, heritage & culture based on Newbury Street in  Boston and one of the world’s top destinations for family history research, according to USA Today. It is the global brand of New England Historic Genealogical Society, America’s oldest and largest genealogical society, founded in 1845. American Ancestors serves more than 500,000 members and subscribers and millions of online users engaged in family history nationally and around the world through its website AmericanAncestors.org with more than ten billion names in its databases.

With spaces and resources dedicated to advancing family history, including the Brim-DeForest Library, the Family Heritage Experience, the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, the Brue Family Learning Center, the 10 Million Names Project, and the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, we also maintain a publishing division that produces original genealogical research, scholarship, and educational materials. We strive to connect with our members and the public in meaningful ways, serving as respected expert genealogists and historians who care deeply about helping people.