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.

THE ASPEN LEADERSHIP SEMINARS (Seminars)

Aspen Leadership Seminars (Seminars) sits at the heart of The Aspen Institute’s founding mission: to foster values-based leadership that inspires individuals to think more deeply, act more courageously, and serve more selflessly. Since 1950, the Seminars have brought together leaders from every sector and region of the world to explore the moral and ethical dimensions of leadership through moderated text-based dialogue. Guided by the belief that the greatest challenges facing society are moral, not technical, these seminars create space for leaders to reflect on the values that guide their choices and shape their organizations.

In support of its mission to develop value-driven leaders, the department offers both tuition-based and fee-for-service seminars to individuals and organizations. Seminars annually deliver 35+ seminars, including the flagship Aspen Executive Seminar on Leadership, Values, and the Good Society, as well as a growing portfolio of Custom Leadership Seminars designed in partnership with client organizations in the corporate, government, and not-for-profit sectors. The portfolio has experienced significant growth in recent years and is poised to expand in both scope and scale in the years ahead.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Aspen Institute aims to scale the network for, participation in, and delivery of our leadership seminars in pursuit of growing values-based leadership in the corporate, non-profit, and government sectors. Building upon a 75-year history as one of the premiere providers of applied humanities leadership development, we are poised for considerable expansion. Moreover, we recognize that this expansion, lasting individual transformation and organizational and social change require extensive understanding of our network, compelling engagement programs, and ongoing opportunities for our target audiences (including leadership seminar alumni) to learn and to feel a part of a community of mutual support, accountability, and continued growth.

The Network & Communications Manager will play a key role in supporting this expansion by creating and executing multiple strategic and tactical engagement programs and processes for members of our network to better connect with Seminars department, including alumni (participants from our programs for individuals as well as custom leadership seminar participants), prospective seminar clients, and other individuals or organizations pinpointed as being part of the Institute community.

The Network & Communications Manager will establish Seminars networks of participants, stakeholders, alumni, and the wider community in a way that keeps everyone informed, inspired, and active according to need and opportunity. They will also serve as lynchpin between the growth team (i.e., communications, marketing, business development, and community engagement) and seminar delivery teams in the identification and creation of Seminars networks as well as outreach touchpoints for past, current, and future Seminars participants and partners.

Working alongside the Operations Director, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications and the Business Development Director, the Network & Communications Manager will develop network management strategies and processes that communicate with, engage with, and segment the Seminars network in support of department priorities. They will also support the development of community engagement strategies, activities, and materials that: a) expand Seminars department storytelling to cover why people want to be a part of our network, how they can grow their relationship with us, b) deepen and maintain network engagement with Seminars and the Institute, and c) create new avenues of engagement for prospective seminar participants and clients.

This position reports directly to the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications. The salary range for this role is $88,000 - $98,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the ?Network & Communications Manager should be willing to be in-person with colleagues a minimum of 40% of the time while having the flexibility to work remotely for the balance.

Goals for this position are to:

• Create and execute integrated communications campaigns and projects that build awareness of Leadership Seminars method, value propositions, and impact.
• Build new opportunities for education and relationship building to grow the Seminars networks and meet target audiences at time of need or connection opportunities (e.g., outreach to alumni after a promotion)
• Align network and community activities with sales objectives and marketing opportunities as well as broader Institute aims.
• Manage the Seminars department network, including data maintenance and segmentation
• Deepen engagement within the existing community—program alumni, fellows, and key stakeholders—as both a community of learning and of mutual support and accountability.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Communications

• Develop tailored communication strategies and materials for the Seminars network while incorporating the department’s broader audience and communication priorities as well as specific programmatic priorities.
• Source thought leadership content from internal and external stakeholders, leveraging various content formats such as articles, testimonials, whitepapers, social media, and webinars while maintaining alignment with the Aspen Institute’s brand.
• Use email and digital marketing campaigns to give members of the Seminar network a deeper understanding of our seminar differentiators.
• Maintain and update the Seminars website with current information and network-focused content that effectively communicates the value of our leadership seminars.

Audience Outreach & Engagement

• Design extended Seminars engagement journey before and beyond a particular leadership seminar, maintaining seminar alumni connections to the Institute for the purpose of audience enrichment and business development opportunities.
• Work directly with key stakeholders and alumni to source thought leadership content and testimonials for deployment by marketing team across various communication channels, and for the benefit of alumni.
• Work with marketing to develop meaningful content, including monthly newsletter, social media calendar, email content, etc.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of community outreach activities, making adjustments and developing new engagement opportunities as needed with attention to revenue-generating growth and the quality of seminar experiences.
• Cultivate relationships with community members and stakeholders.
• Gather feedback (via surveys, or other recommended mechanisms) to assess audience needs, preferences, and opportunities, utilizing information to inform opportunity development.

Community & Alumni Relations

• Implement engagement activities and/or resources to foster a strong sense of community.
• Maintain and update a robust alumni database to track engagement metrics, alumni achievements, and feedback for valuable & meaningful touchpoints throughout a participant’s career.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify opportunities for alumni involvement and provide ongoing resources for alumni to engage with Seminars and the Institute.
• Develop and execute a process for meaningfully interface with each seminar alumnus throughout their first years past their seminar experience. Including a focus on alumni “scoring” to inform future probability of engagement in partnership with Marketing and Business Development.
• Meet regularly with the department’s Design & Delivery team to stay informed about participant experiences and opportunities for continual engagement.
• Meet regularly with the Growth Team to support information and opportunity needs.

Network Management

• Advise on and execute network management strategies to engage the broad Seminars community in alignment with goals for growth, working in collaboration with the Marketing Comms director.
• Determine segmentation of the network to increase effectiveness of communication and engagement.
• Manage Seminars department network contacts & data in the Seminar Department’s CRM+ tool.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all department and relevant Institute activities, offerings, and key relationships to leverage, when appropriate.
• Act as the liaison between the Seminars department and the rest of the Institute’s leadership programs.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• 5+ years of broad experience in various aspects of network engagement, community engagement, marketing and/or communications.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to and driving a communications strategy for the purpose of community engagement and network growth.
• Strong project management skills to coordinate and execute growth team initiatives and communications campaigns. Project management software experience like AirTable.
• Knowledge of email marketing platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, MailChimp, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of social media platforms like LinkedIn & Instagram.
• Experience optimizing and managing a website with tools such as WordPress.
• Contact management experience with CRM platforms like Salesforce.
• Proficiency in graphic design tools and software.
• Experience with collateral development including professional pitch decks, proposals, and business development materials.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Excellent copywriting and proofing abilities.
• Strong storytelling skills to help convey why people would want to be a part of our network.
• An inquisitive mind and a love of learning with an appreciation for the humanities and their role in society.
• Strong interest in the work and mission of the Aspen Institute generally and the Seminars department specifically.
• Experience working with others from different cultures and backgrounds and an unwavering commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered for the position.

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.

The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs, including the interview process. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please email hrsupport@aspeninstitute.org or call 202-736-2127 in advance of your visit. Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible. We will make every effort to fulfill requests, subject to availability.