Senior Program Associate

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 Business & Society Program (Aspen BSP) is a policy program of the Aspen Institute. Our mission is to align business decisions with the long-term health of society. Our vision is a world in which everyone prospers from business success. Aspen BSP is at an exciting moment in its growth. The issues at the intersection of business and society have never been more pressing, with a rapidly increasing demand for companies evolve to meet the social and environmental mandate of our time. Within this context, the leadership programs that Aspen BSP has been offering for more than a decade have renewed energy and opportunity for growth.

Position Overview:

Aspen BSP seeks a visionary, curious, and tenacious professional, with expertise and passion for corporate intrapreneurship and sustainability to support and manage the day-to-day delivery of The Aspen Institute’s Leaders Forum and First Mover’s Fellowship, with the opportunity to support other burgeoning initiatives that focus on building the courage and capacity of changemakers in business.

The Aspen Institute Leaders Forum is a cross industry, invitation-only network of senior sustainability/ESG strategists who are working at the cutting edge of practice in a rapidly evolving profession.

The Aspen Institute First Movers Fellowship Program is a leadership development program and innovation lab for “corporate social intrapreneurs” in core business functions who are creating new products, services, and practices that deliver positive results for the business and society.

This role is an opportunity for someone passionate about business & society – a key frontier of social change – to work with diverse business leaders that are shaping the future of corporate sustainability. The right candidate will have passion for program management, community building, leadership development, and the integration of sustainability throughout business operations. This person will be:

• Adept at managing programmatic elements, and supporting the design, management, and evolution of high-quality leadership development programs
• Systems and operationally oriented, and can swiftly learn and design operational systems that enable efficiency and coordination amongst the staff, as well as the right level of “human touch” for our program participants
• A practiced facilitator, who can design conversations and engage senior corporate leaders in dialogue around core issues related to corporate sustainability, societal engagement, and leadership development
• Familiar with the core issues, opportunities and challenges related to sustainability, ESG, and leadership development within a corporate environment
• Committed to equity internally and within the development and management of BSP’s programming, and
• Passionate and ready to support the overall mission of the Aspen Institute Business & Society Program.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Program strategy and infrastructure

• Participate in strategic design sessions for our leadership programs to determine and monitor goals for individual events and the programs overall
• Assist with curriculum development and refinement for program seminars and convenings
• Build, maintain and evolve system infrastructure to ensure the effective program and relationship management
• Manage program budgets and general program administration

Relationship management and facilitation

• Actively seek opportunities to deepen relationships with leadership program participants, including engaging alumni and current participants in broader BSP communications, activities and events
• Identify and track candidates and companies for engagement in leadership programming
• Oversee and evolve engagement strategies with First Mover Fellows and Leaders Forum members to ensure high levels of participation
• Lead the execution of the First Movers recruitment strategy as well as candidate tracking, candidate communication, and application and acceptance processes
• Facilitate individual and group dialogues to support the delivery of program content, curriculum, and coaching

Event and project management

• Assist with crafting the agendas and materials for virtual and in person events
• Oversee the planning and execution of program retreats, coaching sessions, plenaries, and other events

Evaluation and reporting

• Participate in program meetings and synthesize findings for participants and other audiences
• Lead program evaluation, including survey design and distribution, data synthesis, and evaluation presentations to internal staff and key external stakeholders
• Conduct research and present findings associated with new strategy and content for both programs

Position Logistics:

• Salary: The range for this position is $75,000 – $83,900.
• Location: This position is based in New York.

To apply for this role, please submit your resume along with a cover letter, detailing your interest in and fit for this position the The Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program. Applications without cover letters will not be considered.

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.

Individuals needing an accommodation to complete the job application can contact HRSupport@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-1074.