Position Title:            Senior Communication and Development Associate

Program/Dept.:         Inclusive America Project, Justice & Society Program

Reports To:                   Director            

Position Location:     Washington DC

FLSA Status:             Full-Time, Exempt

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.

The Inclusive America Project (IAP): Launched by the Aspen Institute in 2012, IAP works to strengthen the understanding of religion's role in advancing equity and the common good. In a multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-ethnic nation, we ask the question: how do we envision a common life together?

We believe there is value in our differences, and we envision a society where diverse religious communities and non-believers fully embrace America’s ideals by engaging and thriving with mutual trust and respect. IAP focuses on bridging the gap between ideas and impact, working to build the capacity of faith-based leaders, increasing philanthropic investment, and serving as a national knowledge hub that informs and connects leaders from various fields and faiths. By emphasizing network and community building, we are creating and amplifying connections that can break down barriers for generations to come.

Basic Function:

The Senior Communication and Development Associate works under the direction of the Director. They will be responsible for clearly articulating IAP’s mission, vision, and programming to a variety of audiences in their communication and development workstreams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Senior Communication and Development Associate must be a professional, responsible, very detail-oriented self-starter with experience in religious pluralism and exceptional communications abilities.

This candidate must be well organized and flexible, have excellent writing and communication skills, and the ability to interact with staff and external stakeholders at all levels. This position requires general familiarity with the communities, organizations, and networks with which we partner, comfort working in diverse groups, and an ability to translate strategy into communication and grantwriting. The Senior Communication and Development Associate must be able to manage multiple sets of overlapping deadlines and should be results-oriented, highly motivated, creative, and a team player. Willingness and ability to travel domestically about four to six times per year, when safe to do so, is a requirement.

Communication

• Develop cohesive communications strategy that successfully connects IAP strategy to programming and increases our reach and influence;
• Write speeches, op-eds, and talking points for director;
• Steward printed or multimedia publications such as reports, primers, and case studies through drafting and editing to formatting, printing, and launch.
• Liaise with other Aspen Institute departments, especially the communications department, and external partners to advertise IAP events and programming;
• Draft coordinated outreach plans for IAP content;
• Lead on marketing and advertising initiatives across all IAP programs;
• Prepare communications materials including the Newsletter, funder newsletter, information briefs, media kits, and other items; and
• Maintain and improve public website, blog, and Twitter account and following – including brainstorming and implementing new features and content.

Development

• Assist Director in expanding the Religious Pluralism Funders Circle and in developing appropriate programmatic content;
• Participate in strategic planning for IAP, and especially for the Religious Pluralism Funders Circle, to ensure development plans align with and are in service of evolving organizational goals;
• Clearly and effectively draft dynamic, reader-friendly, and high-quality writing free of typos, jargon, and lackluster prose for LOIs, applications, and reports;
• Design and update a regular progress-to-goal report and development dashboard;
• Update existing development and stewardship plans with new ideas, industry best practices, and data-driven analysis;
• Assist in developing a robust pipeline to hit annual revenue goals by
  • Expanding engagement with local, regional, and national funders to generate grant opportunities; and
  • Expanding IAP’s individual donor base;
• Create and manage a grant calendar to track all upcoming applications and reports, collaborating with staff as needed;
• Coordinate where appropriate with the Aspen Institute Office of Institutional Advancement;
• Assist Director in building personal relationships with foundations and other funders; and
• Track all grant work in IAP’s project management software to ensure all grant opportunities and tasks are current and well-detailed.

Required Knowledge, Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 4 yrs. experience in the field;
• Interest and experience in issues of religious diversity and pluralism;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills; experience and ability to write professional correspondence and communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders;
• Excellent attention to detail, personal organization and time management;
• Ability to successfully work in fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure;
• Proficient in MS office, including Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook;
• Experience with contact databases (such as Salesforce) and project management software (such as Asana);
• Ability to work and communicate effectively within a team;
• Ability to exercise professional discretion, judgment and diplomacy; and
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 5% of the time.

Level of Authority:

• Limited budget authority; and
• Opportunities for advancement and increased responsibilities.

How to Apply:

• Click Start Your Application and complete the application form; and
• Submit a cover letter that addresses the following three questions:
  • What does religious pluralism mean to you and why is it important?
  • What is the single biggest challenge to religious pluralism today and how do you think it can be overcome?
  • What is the role of ideological diversity in movement building for religious pluralism

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.

Candidate must have the ability to work under pressure and handle stress. Candidate must also have the ability to meet the regular attendance policy of the Aspen Institute.