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.

Program Description:

The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program (CEP) aims to identify and replicate practices and policies that significantly improve college student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, the American Talent Initiative, our portfolio of projects to improve transfer outcomes, and other highly visible national projects, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges’ capacity to achieve high levels of success for all students, and to eliminate disparities in postsecondary attainment and social mobility for students from low-income backgrounds and historically marginalized and underserved groups. Our work focuses on improving higher education institutions in six areas: ensuring high-quality learning, increasing completion rates, improving community college transfer and baccalaureate attainment, increasing post-college employment and earnings outcomes, ensuring strong access to college credentials of value, and achieving equity in outcomes across all domains. We advance those outcomes by quantitatively identifying and publicly elevating those colleges achieving excellent and equitable outcomes, conducting research on how those outcomes were accomplished, publishing reports and practical tools to support college leaders and practitioners interested in replicating effective practices, and conducting professional development programs for presidents, senior teams, board of trustees, and others. Learn more about our work at https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/

The College Excellence Program staff is a diverse team of talented professionals who share a commitment to increasing student success in higher education. We are motivated by the power of education to change lives, and we work hard to have measurable impact while also pushing ourselves to learn constantly, collaborate and innovate, and take joy from our work. The Aspen Institute's DC headquarters provides a vibrant setting in which to pursue these goals, and we benefit from a rich array of programs and staff within the broader institute.

Basic Function:

The associate is a part of the College Excellence Program’s curriculum team, working to translate CEP’s research into field-facing professional development materials for college leaders, The associate will work closely with curriculum team members to support materials creation for engaging presentations and workshops by creating drafts of slide decks and participant-facing materials. The associate will also provide organizational, logistics, and administrative support for state-based professional development engagements, including through communication and coordination with various external partners.

This role reports to the Director. This is a hybrid position, with a minimum of two days per week in the DC office. The salary range for this position is $55,000 - $65,000.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop slide decks and participant-facing materials to support workshops for college leaders.

• Provide logistical support to ensure the smooth execution of high-quality presentations, workshops, and other events, including printing, assembling, shipping, and organizing materials.

• Communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders, including project partners, vendors, and college practitioners and leaders, to ensure high-quality execution of events.

• Develop and maintain relationships with partners and other stakeholders in the field, focusing on collaboration, engagement, outcomes, and quality of content and delivery.

• Create and process invoices on an as-needed basis.

• Assist in processing contacts on an as-needed basis.

• Invoice processing and tracking expenses as directed.

• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Education, and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required

• at least 3 years related experience, preferably in curriculum design

• Demonstrated excellence in writing and analytic ability

• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders in a professional environment

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including strong PowerPoint skills

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud is preferred, but not required

• Strong interest in student success and equity in higher education

To apply:

All interested applicants must submit the following:

1. A one-page cover letter. CEP prefers cover letters that describe what motivates you and how you understand and relate to our mission, rather than a narrative version of your resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

2. Resume/CV.

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.