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.

The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program (EEP) explores significant challenges with diverse thinkers and doers to make a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable society for all. We address critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues through non-partisan, non-ideological convening, with the specific intent of bringing together diverse stakeholders to improve the process and progress of policy-level dialogue. This enables EEP to sit at a critical intersection in the conversation and bring together diverse groups of expert stakeholders. In addition to energy and environmental policy, which the program has been addressing for several decades, EEP is now actively and purposefully engaging in climate change policy – mitigating the effects of climate change, adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change, and the international cooperation needed to achieve these goals.

FUNCTION:

The Program Assistant serves as primary support staff to the Executive Director and the Managing Director (leadership) of the Energy & Environment Program. In this role, the Program Assistant will manage the daily and longer-term schedule, prioritize meeting and event invitations, manage correspondence between the leadership and outside stakeholders, coordinate with team members, create a daily briefing book so that the leadership knows what meetings are that day and what items need to be discussed at each, track and follow through on ED action items, and coordinate other meetings, events, projects, and other items as needed. This position requires very strong attention to detail and the ability to follow up on many items in both the short and longer-term.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Program Assistant is primarily tasked with leading all administrative and logistical details for the Executive Director.

Supporting Leadership Team (75%)

• Provide administrative support for the leadership, including setting up and scheduling meetings, booking travel, corresponding with internal and external stakeholders, and preparing meeting notes for internal and external meetings;
• Creating a daily briefing book with calendar and m,
• Track and follow through on to-do and action items using a project management platform;
• Coordinating individual and program schedules for internal and external meetings;
• Prepare, review, and edit correspondence and other communications materials;
• Gathering background information on speaking engagements and other meetings, projects and presentations, and preparing meeting materials from EEP staff so that the leadership is adequately prepared for each engagement;
• Take notes for leadership on action items in program meetings, team meetings, external meetings, and one on one check in’s with EEP team members;
• Scheduling and coordinating internal team meetings, check ins, and other meetings as needed;
• Manage expense reports and travel logistics.

Research and writing (15%)

• Research people and organizations in advance of meetings and events;
• Draft talking points and meeting notes for leadership; and,
• Do preliminary research on new topics in the energy, climate, and environment space.

General Team Support (10%)

• Preparing, reviewing, and editing correspondence and other communications materials;
• Create agendas for regular team meetings and check-ins and take notes;
• Support project leads in coordinating conference logistics and contact with participants to ensure efficient implementation;
• Support the Program Coordinator for Operations with organizing travel arrangements;
• Processing requests for payment, including payments through travel through Concur; and managing and tracking receipts and invoices for the program;
• Be ready and flexible to jump in and provide assistance where needed.

KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred;
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational abilities, and time management skills;
• Proficiency or fluency in Spanish a plus;
• Strong verbal skills and writing and editing skills are essential;
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team;
• Strong interpersonal skills, energy, and initiative;
• Strong writing and editing skills, particularly in correspondence;
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook and OneNote;
• Ability to be proactive and adaptable in a fast-paced environment and anticipating senior staff needs.

The Program Assistant will be a key contributor to EEP’s DEI&B journey, including working with the team to build a culture of inclusion and belonging with the team, focusing on diversity and inclusion efforts throughout EEP’s work, and continuing to manage and create new projects that move the environmental movement toward better DEI&B outcomes.

The salary range for this role is $46-$50,000

TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION:

• Please submit the application through the Aspen Institute web portal. Applications completed through other portals will not be reviewed.

The Institute has implemented a mandatory COVID vaccination policy for all employees who will work at one of our physical locations, attend any of our in-person events or travel on behalf of the Institute. Staff unable to be vaccinated may request an exemption under certain circumstances.

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.