The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

To achieve our mission of a more free, just, and equitable society, we commit to working proactively to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our myriad endeavors such as the recruitment, compensation, training, and advancement of staff. The best people-serving institutions make this commitment, and we seek to be a leader in the ways that we do so and learn from others. Visit our website to learn more about our commitment and recent actions taken toward building and nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment.

Program Description:

The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program supports colleges and universities in their quest to achieve a higher standard of excellence, delivering credentials that unlock life-changing careers and strengthen our economy, society, and democracy. We know it takes visionary college leaders to achieve this higher standard and we make it our mission to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and research-backed tools to inspire change, shift practice, and advance the capacity of colleges to deliver excellent and equitable student outcomes. Learn more at https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/

The College Excellence Program (CEP) staff is a diverse team of driven and energetic professionals who share a commitment to increasing access to and success in higher education. We are motivated by the power of education to change lives, and we work hard to have measurable impact while also pushing ourselves to learn constantly, collaborate and innovate, and take joy from our work. The Aspen Institute's D.C. headquarters provides a vibrant setting in which to pursue these goals, and we benefit from a rich array of expert panels, discussion groups, and lectures that occur throughout the year.

This position reports directly to the Director. The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000. This position is in the Aspen Institute’s Washington, D.C. office and is expected to work from the office at least 40% of the time.

Basic Function:

The Program Manager will oversee the day-to-day project management of workstreams within major CEP projects, such as the American Talent Initiative. The Manager's first assignments will include managing ATI's New Presidents Community, Transfer Community for Private Institutions, and day-to-day operations of the Transfer Scholars Network. The manager will be responsible for drafting and executing project plans for in-person and virtual events; designing agendas, materials, and communications for internal and external audiences to advance project goals; and supporting tracking and evaluation of their workstreams. The Manager will work with their supervisor and other colleagues to ensure that high-quality materials come together in a timely manner by coordinating with research and curriculum experts and other team members as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Day-to-day management and execution of multiple workstreams within major CEP projects, including the design, execution, and improvement of project plans.
• Communicate with executive-level offices, senior leaders, and practitioners in higher education, including through email correspondence, virtual meetings, and phone calls.
• Ensure internal collaboration with the curriculum and research teams to coordinate high-quality content for events, engagements, and external communications.
• Liaise with key partners and vendors to advance projects, including developing scopes of work for major contracts and subawards.
• Arrange and manage logistics and operations (e.g., participant registration, tracking, and vendor management) of major in-person and virtual events for college leaders and practitioners.
• Work with team members and external collaborators to develop internal and external-facing case-making assets, slide decks, memos, and other materials to advance project goals.
• Track and manage budgets for discrete projects or events.

Knowledge, Education, and Experience:

• 5+ years of relevant experience in project management, knowledge of highly selective institutions or community college transfer preferred
• Bachelors degree preferred, advanced degrees welcomed

To learn more about how we hire at CEP the generous health, retirement, and other benefits offered by the Aspen Institute, please visit our website.

To apply:

All interested applicants must submit the following:

1. A one-page cover letter. CEP prefers cover letters that describe what motivates you and how you understand and relate to our mission, rather than a narrative version of your resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
2. Resume/CV.

The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.

The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation regarding the accessibility of our website, a modification or adjustment of the job application or interview process due to a disability, contact HRSupport@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-5800.