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.

Aspen Economic Strategy Group:

The Aspen Economic Strategy Group (AESG), a program of the Aspen Institute, is composed of a diverse, bipartisan group of distinguished leaders and thinkers with the goal of promoting evidence-based solutions to significant US economic challenges. Co-chaired by Henry M. Paulson, Jr. and Timothy Geithner, the AESG fosters the exchange of economic policy ideas and seeks to clarify the lines of debate on emerging economic issues while promoting bipartisan relationship-building among current and future generations of policy leaders in Washington.

Overview:

The Aspen Economic Strategy Group is seeking a Program Coordinator/Associate who will be responsible for performing policy research and writing while also managing day to day program communications.  Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Program Coordinator/Associate will monitor current policy debates and use the AESG’s communications channels to highlight relevant items from the AESG’s content library, member writings, and contributions from the broader economic policy community. Key tasks include performing background research on emerging economic policy issues and trends, writing concise memos about complex economic policy issues, and distilling and summarizing AESG-commissioned papers into shorter blog- posts and social media content. The Program Coordinator/Associate will also be responsible for managing the program’s content calendar, liaising with a graphic designer, and project managing the production of the AESG’s annual policy volume.

This position is ideal for a candidate with deep interest in and knowledge of current economic policy issues and topics. The Program Coordinator/Associate must also have a knack for organization and a demonstrated ability to adapt under pressure, preferably with a sense of humor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Research and Writing (40%)

• Assist the deputy director and director with background research about emerging economic policy topics and issues.
• Draft summaries, blog posts, and policy briefs highlighting key elements from relevant economic policy content.
• Create charts/graphs in Excel, R, or other data vis software.
• Draft substantive posts for AESG’s website and social media platforms.  

Content Promotion and Communication (30%)

• Manage the AESG social media accounts: create weekly content schedule, draft tweets for approval by deputy director.
• Monitor and collect content related to various economic policy topics, including writings and interviews from AESG members. 
• Create and share social media toolkits for AESG products that can be shared with program principals, staff, and other partners.
• Produce monthly/bi-monthly email newsletters and promotional campaigns for events.

Project Management and Other Tasks (20%)

• Manage the publication of AESG’s annual policy volume, including overseeing formatting, coordinating revisions, and consolidating various project pieces into a cohesive document.
• Publish content and manage updates to AESG’s website (WordPress).

Other (10%, varies throughout the year)

• Support annual member meeting operations.
• Manage the creation and development of meeting materials, including agendas, organizational materials, and design elements.

Education, Experience, and Skills:

• B.A./B.S. degree in economics, public policy, government, or similar field.
• Two to four years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong writing skills with a proven ability to distill and summarize complex topics into accessible prose. 
• Advanced chart-making skills in Excel, R, or other data vis software.
• Experience working with principals and their staff, such as senior business executives or elected officials.

The ideal candidate will have the following attributes and skills:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A strong interest in US economic policy.
• Adept at meeting deadlines and exhibiting grace under pressure.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, shift priorities quickly, and adapt to a changing environment.
• Strong orientation towards collaboration and problem-solving in a small team environment, including the ability to flex between different projects and tasks as needed.
• HTML experience (preferred but not required).
• A desire to learn, a sense of humor, flexibility, and resourcefulness.

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.

Individuals needing an accommodation to complete the job application can contact HRSupport@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-1074.