ABOUT US

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.

WEAVE: THE SOCIAL FABRIC PROJECT

Weave: The Social Fabric Project tackles the problem of broken social trust that has left Americans divided, lonely, and in social gridlock. Weave connects, supports, and invests in local leaders stepping up to weave a new, inclusive social fabric where they live. The project was founded by New York Times columnist and author David Brooks at The Aspen Institute in 2018. He remains the chair of the project.

Weave supports the people (“weavers”) who are building trust and tackling key issues in their neighborhoods. It provides them with resources and connects them in peer networks. It lifts up these often under-appreciated community connectors as important leaders by telling their stories and putting them on stages large and small. And Weave aims to inspire new generations of people to become weavers of their communities.

Weave seeks to spur a nation of weavers, brimming with deep, healthy connections, where mutual trust and affection is the norm, equity is implicit, and all find joy and meaning in daily life.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Community Manager will develop and execute a strategic framework based on best industry practices that maximizes online community member engagement and enrichment, supports current community members, and attracts and retains new community members. The Community Manager’s role with Weave will commence concurrently with the migration of our online community to a new platform (Mighty Networks), the integration of our Learning Center with the online community, and the relaunch of this integrated community. The Community Manager will supervise Weave team members and our Mighty Networks consultants to ensure success.

This role reports to the Managing Director and supervises 2-3 direct reports and contract consultants as appropriate.The salary range for this position is $90,000-$98,000. Employees are expected to work in-person at the office at least two days a week.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Phase 1: Relaunch & Activation

• Supervise the successful relaunch of the online community, including integration of our learning center, member outreach and migration, content migration, course implementation, and kickoff events.
• Align the community platform settings, features, and layout with organizational goals and user needs.
• Run beta test to refine understanding of platform and member experiences and flows. Refine platform and courses post-beta.
• Recruit and onboard early members, moderators, and community ambassadors to seed engagement.
• Establish community guidelines, rituals, and moderation policies.

Phase 2: Ongoing Community & Learning Management

• Bring best industry practices to bear in developing and executing a strategic framework that supports current members and attracts and retains new members with robust and meaningful content and a superior user experience.
• Welcome new members with messages, rituals, or orientation events.
• Foster a supportive environment for members to connect, share experiences, and learn.
• Oversee the Learning Center component of the community.
• Plan and execute events or gatherings.
• Cultivate and curate community resources and launch subcommunities as appropriate..
• Partner with the communications team to promote conversations and featured stories.
• Work with the communications team to promote remote and in-person events, courses, and learning opportunities through announcements, emails, and engagement campaigns.
• Monitor community activity and ensure timely responses to questions, comments, and issues. Maintain community norms and guidelines.
• Identify, support, and coordinate volunteer moderators and superusers to encourage peer leadership and sustainability.
• Collect and synthesize community feedback along with community analytics, to report to management and to inform improvements.
• Keep a pulse on engagement rhythms, and experiment with re-engagement tactics.
• Create moments of celebration, acknowledgment, and storytelling for members.
• Keep current on industry trends in online communities.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• 5+ years of experience in online community management.
• An entrepreneurial spirit.
• Experience with facilitation or adult learning is a plus.
• Strong written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Comfortable with digital tools (e.g., community platforms, CRMs, Slack, Zoom, LMS platforms).
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Familiarity with nonprofit sector challenges and a passion for leadership development.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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.