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:

Energy & Environment Program

The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program (EEP) works with people, organizations, and governments to take greater action on solving climate change. EEP
addresses critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues through non-partisan, nonideological convenings and facilitated collaborations, with the specific intent of bringing together diverse stakeholders to improve the process and progress of policy-level dialogue. Our core strategy focuses on mitigating the effects of climate change and helping communities to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change by fostering the leaders, relationships, dialogues, and policy objectives necessary to achieve these goals.

Aspen Ideas: Climate

The Aspen Institute, in partnership with the City of Miami Beach, will convene the third annual Aspen Ideas: Climate in Miami Beach, March 11-13, 2024. Over the course of three days, we will gather global and local policy makers, scientists, business and NGO leaders, energy experts, artists, young leaders, members of the public and others, for a series of dialogues aimed at activating even greater climate action and collaboration. For the past two years, this event has become the premier solutions-oriented convening for leaders to engage through discussions on the main stage, closed-door technical roundtables, intimate breakout conversations, excursions, art exhibitions, and a climate tech exposition.

Basic Function

The Aspen Institute seeks a Speaker Coordinator within the Energy and Environment Program team to help support the execution of high-quality and unique programming for the third Aspen Ideas: Climate to be held March 11-13, 2024, in Miami Beach, Florida. The Speaker Coordinator will work closely with the speaker management team and other staff members supporting Aspen Ideas: Climate ensuring a seamless process and experience for our event speakers and their teams.

Please note that this a temporary, part-time position that will be from November 2023 to March 2024. The pay range is $25-$30 per hour, with expectations of no more than 20 hours per week (Monday to Friday). Long hours and working on weekends are expected at times.

This position reports to the Managing Director. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the coordinator 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. In-person consists of meaningful connections with colleagues in an office, traveling to a different office or location to meet fellow staff members, at an Aspen event, at a meeting outside the office or other opportunities to meet in person with teammates and colleagues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Programmatic Responsibilities

• Support invoice and bill payments to vendors related to event; handle reimbursements for attendees and speakers as needed;
• Work with speakers to confirm travel and other logistics as assigned and in coordination with key Institute staff; and
• Coordinate, as necessary, sponsor communications and execution of sponsor contracts.

Event and Speaker Management Responsibilities:

• Manage varying aspects of event planning as necessary, including such projects as off campus venue development, marketing;
• Work with Communications staff on marketing, web content, social, and program materials;
• Administration of invitations to attendees and presenters on behalf of Aspen Ideas, management of responses, support speakers’ travel and accommodations;
• Solicit biographies and headshots of program presenters;
• Database creation and management for Aspen Ideas, including researching presenter’s work and background, contact information, prior to Aspen Institute events, and invitations, etc.;
• Drafting email correspondence, speaker invitations, session descriptions;

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Management of team’s schedule as needed, including scheduling virtual calls and reserving conference spaces as needed;
• Program billing as appropriate.

Knowledge, Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent of 2 years of work experience in event planning;
• Exceptional organizational skills, self-motivated, detail-oriented and has an eye for the big picture;
• Thrives in optimizing processes, workflows, tracking information, and general improvement of event planning and management;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills;
• Superb customer service skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite especially Word, Excel and other programs including Google Docs, Email Marketing software, Cvent, Adobe Premiere Pro, ArtsVision;
• Event organization, administrative experience, and intellectual curiosity a plus; and
• Travel to Miami Beach in March 2024 is required.

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.