Postdoctoral Associate in Humanities Leadership - Rice University

The Humanities Research Center (HRC) at Rice University seeks to appoint one Postdoctoral Associate in Humanities Leadership.

The Humanities Research Center (HRC) is an internationally recognized hub that fosters innovative humanities and arts research at Rice University and builds collaborations with local, national, and global partners. The HRC aims to shape and support interdisciplinary and collaborative research and engagement practices that are locally rooted and globally linked.

We seek emergent interdisciplinary scholars with a demonstrated interest in humanities leadership who aspire to careers in administration, management, and public service by choice rather than circumstance. Competitive applicants will have been successful in both academic and extra-academic experiences, such as service at higher education and / or affiliated institutions, prior experience in program building, and publicly engaged humanities work. We encourage applicants with an interest in questions at the intersection of interdisciplinary humanities graduate education; critical university studies and the future of higher education; and alternative careers, professional development, and capacity building for the next generation of humanities PhDs.

The HRC Postdoctoral Associate in Humanities Leadership will join a vibrant community invested in advancing interdisciplinarity and collaboration across the humanities and arts. They will be responsible for contributing to and managing several existing and new initiatives at the Humanities Research Center, the School of Humanities and Arts, and Rice University at large. Rethinking the role of the arts and humanities both within and beyond the university will be primary to the Postdoctoral Associate’s work at the HRC.

With the support of an HRC Public Humanities Graduate Associate and mentoring from colleagues, the Postdoctoral Associate will lead and develop programs across HRC constituencies. Core responsibilities include managing the Public Humanities Graduate Internship program, developing interdisciplinary and professionalizing programs, teaching or co-teaching workshops and professionalization seminars, and liaising with units and stakeholders on- and off-campus.

While the primary duties of this position are around humanities leadership and administration, the Postdoctoral Associate will be expected to contribute to the intellectual life of the HRC through participation in and support for public events, works-in-progress meetings, and other interdisciplinary initiatives.

The Postdoctoral Associate will have an office within the HRC. They will report to the HRC’s Associate Director. They will have a number of mentors across disciplines and expertise domains at Rice University and are expected to mentor PhD students in the Humanities across disciplines.

This position is for the period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with the possibility of renewal for a second year (subject to performance review and funding). It is a full-time, in-person position and is benefits-eligible. The Postdoctoral Associate will receive an annual salary of $70,000 and a $3,000 one-time stipend for research and / or relocation to Houston. The HRC Postdoctoral Associate in Humanities Leadership is expected to be in residence in Houston no later than July 15, 2026.

Work-related duties may include :

• Designing, implementing, and managing programs across HRC constituencies
• Managing the Public Humanities Graduate Internship program
• Leading HRC initiatives such as writing groups and interdisciplinary working groups
• Teaching and facilitating workshops and professionalization seminars
• Collaborating with university partners to develop new training and support initiatives
• Providing mentorship and guidance to PhD students and early career scholars navigating diverse career pathways
• Contributing to HRC programming, events, and public humanities initiatives
• Other duties as assigned

Eligibility :

Applicants from any humanistic discipline or the interpretive social sciences are eligible to apply and must have the Ph.D. in hand by June 30, 2026. Applicants must have received their PhD no earlier than January 1, 2020. Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in humanities leadership and must have first-hand knowledge of the American higher education landscape. Applicants must have excellent communication and time-management skills.

Required application materials :

Application instructions :

Deadline :  Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Faculty and staff are expected (but not required) to have completed a full vaccination series for COVID-19 (currently defined as full course COVID-19 Vaccine (typically two shots of a WHO-approved COVID-19 Vaccine or one J&J) and a COVID-19 booster. Rice does not require documentation for COVID-19 vaccination at this time for faculty and staff. More information can be found here :   https : / / coronavirus.rice.edu / policies .