Aspen Institute employees come from a wide range of backgrounds and possess a unique blend of education, skill, and policy experience. We recognize that our people are our vital resource and we value their knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment. At the Aspen Institute we offer competitive salaries and a wide variety of benefits to our employees and their families.
If you would enjoy working in a dynamic environment and are looking for an opportunity to become part of a stellar team of professionals, we invite you to apply online today.
| Department: | EDUCATION |
| Location: | Washington, DC |
| Salary: | 65,000 |
ABOUT US
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.
The Education & Society Program
The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program (ESP) improves public education by inspiring, informing, and influencing education leaders across policy and practice, with an emphasis on achieving equity for students of color and students from low-income families. Aspen Education supports leaders at all levels, from networks of urban superintendents and their teams, to state chiefs and their cabinets, to elected officials and their staffers. Learn more about our work at https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/education-and-society-program/
K12 Leadership Team
The Aspen Education K-12 Leadership Team hosts, facilitates, and supports several robust networks of senior education leaders. Our flagship network, The Urban District Leaders Network, convenes Superintendents, Chiefs of Schools, Chief Academic Officers, and Chief Financial Officers from 20 districts serving over two million students. Our job is to design convenings that are grounded in thoughtfully designed learning agendas that cultivate brave, curious spaces for professional learning and leadership development. Participants engage deeply with real-world challenges and education research. Within these spaces, leaders are both learners and exemplars, united by a shared commitment to advancing excellence and equity for all students. The K12 Leadership Team is responsible for developing strong learning agendas for various networks and using learnings from events to frame critical issues in education for the field.
ABOUT THIS ROLE
The Program Associate will report to the Senior Associate and work closely with the rest of the Aspen Education team to provide primary staff support through an array of functions integral to the success of the Aspen Education Program. As a program associate, you will have the opportunity to exercise your skills in leading and managing work, engage collaboratively with the Aspen Education team, and connect with a wide range of education leaders across the nation.
This is a one-year position with a salary of $65,000 a year. This position is located at the Aspen Institute’s Washington, D.C. office, with the expectation to work from the office at least 40% of the time.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Project Management
Drive project development from inception to completion under the guidance of the Senior Program Associate, including creating initial project plans, tracking milestone achievement, and proactively identifying and addressing potential obstacles.
Lead structured project management processes, including regular progress check-ins, post-project evaluations, and implementing data-driven improvement strategies.
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation of project workflows, decisions, and lessons learned.
Coordinate cross-functional collaboration among internal teams and external stakeholders, serving as the central point of communication.
Implement effective project management tools and technologies to enhance efficiency and transparency.
Event Planning/Logistics
Manage calendaring, facilitate meetings, synthesize discussions, key insights and actions items from important conversations .
Develop and maintain comprehensive tracking systems for external outreach, participant recruitment, and key stakeholder engagement.
Design and implement effective event registration systems, evaluations, and deliverable tracking systems.
Create and organize meeting materials, establishing efficient processes for production and distribution prior to events.
Support on-site event execution for in-person convenings in close collaboration with the Meeting Manager.
Operations/Financial Support
Create and streamline processes for collecting, organizing and producing high-quality meeting materials, managing publication inventory, and handling printing, shipping and copying requirements.
Execute efficient systems for tracking and processing post-event participant reimbursements and vendor payments.
Create and maintain operations documentation to establish consistent processes and facilitate knowledge transfer across the tea.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE:
1-3 years of experience in project management and event logistics preferred (Relevant college coursework, internships, and academic projects may be considered in lieu of professional experience).
Demonstrated project management experience, taking complete ownership of work, ensuring its high-quality delivery, and when relevant, overseeing team efforts to achieve excellence. Adept project management skills to handle increasingly complex tasks.
Ability to operate with self-direction and effectively structure, inform, and facilitate decision-making processes; make decisions effectively and with the appropriate inputs to improve program health and impact. Demonstrated experience working effectively with teams as well as through self-directed, independent work.
Commitment to improving outcomes in public education, especially for students from low-income families and students of color.
Ability to be adaptable and remain flexible when carrying out strategies so that you can identify ways to better support the team.
Experience actively building relationships within and across teams and entering collaboration opportunities prepared to engage.
Demonstrated equity mindset with the ability to examine the impact of your identities, biases, assumptions, and behaviors on their power and privilege, interactions with others, work and leadership.
Excellent computer skills and mastery of Adobe, and familiarity with office productivity tools like Asana, Cvent, Google Suite, Zoom, etc.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the field and in the workplace.
Ability to travel up to 20% of time. Occasional night and weekend work is required, usually as part of the planning or execution of site visits.
Additional Information
All applicants must submit the following to be considered for the position:
Resume
Cover Letter with (1) a brief (1-2 paragraphs) example of a project or event you have managed; (2) your professional aspirations or skills you’d like to develop in this role; (3) any relevant experience or background in public education, particularly equity-driven work.
Completed online application through the Aspen Institute web page
This job posting will close on May 15, 2025.
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.
