Executive Director - Stevens Initiative at The Aspen Institute – Washington, District of Columbia

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 CENTER FOR RISING GENERATIONS

The Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations (CRG) is dedicated to ensuring that civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development become a predictable part of the journey to adulthood in our society and around the world. Inspired by the Aspen Institute’s strategic plan and supported by a generous endowment from the Bezos Family Foundation, the Center for Rising Generations:

• Works to expand opportunities for, and elevate the voices of, youth and young adults at the Aspen Institute.
• Creates opportunities to convene and build community beyond the Aspen Institute.
• Encourages innovation that helps emphasize the assets that young people bring to help address today’s challenges.

The Center for Rising Generations manages five programs: the Aspen Challenge, the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship, the Center for Native American Youth, the Stevens Initiative, and the Education and Society program. CRG works closely with and coordinates work across these CRG programs.

THE STEVENS INITIATIVE

The Stevens Initiative was established in 2015 to take a digital-first approach to connect young people around the world. Through the Stevens Initiative’s work, primarily in virtual exchange, young people have access to substantive international experiences, collaborating and learning with their peers abroad without having to leave their communities. Looking forward, the Stevens Initiative will deepen its focus on innovation, new technology, partnerships, and field-building.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Executive Director for the Stevens Initiatives will lead the program into a new phase of work. Guided by a commitment to expand opportunities for international connection and alignment to the Center for Rising Generations’ (CRG) dedication to making civil discourse, civic engagement, and leadership development a predictable part of growing up globally, the Executive Director will work to vastly expand opportunities for young people.

The Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative has four primary responsibilities: building relationships with international partners, including governments, to create global connection opportunities; collaborating with Aspen’s international programs to expand opportunities for young people; sparking innovation in the field to create new and impactful opportunities for young people to engage across distance and difference; and managing existing State Department programs and subgrants.

The Executive Director will also have responsibility for building and managing the Stevens Initiative team. As a program within the Center for Rising Generations, the Executive Director will identify opportunities to work collaboratively with other CRG programs. This may include creating opportunities for established US programs to bring their work to an international audience.

The Executive Director reports to the Vice President of the Center for Rising Generations. The salary range for this position is $200,000 - $250,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the ?Executive Director 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.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Establish and expand relationships with international partners and governments to support youth programming and connections

• Cultivate relationships to identify strong potential partners.
• Craft partnerships that build on the Stevens Initiative’s experience and deepen the impact, both with regard to scale and depth, of Stevens’ work.
• Maintain strong ties to international partners and governments with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa.
• Represent the Stevens Initiative before government leaders and heads of state.
• Build partnerships that advance the Stevens Initiative’s priorities and that are sustainable and scalable.
• Establish a range of partnerships with non-governmental organizations that provide opportunities for scaling Stevens Initiatives’ work.

Collaborate with International programs within the Aspen Institute

• Cultivate relationships with Aspen’s 13 international programs to identify opportunities and shared interests.
• Support opportunities for young people in the United States to connect with their peers in partner countries for impactful experiences.
• Elevate opportunities for Aspen International programs to share in the work of other CRG programs by connecting through technology.

Build the field of innovative, impactful international exchange through technology

• Work with technologists and other innovators to identify new ways for young people to connect globally for impactful experiences.
• Identify and support new opportunities for youth connection and elevate the impact of the work.
• Encourage others to support new means of connecting young people globally.
• Elevate stories of impactful youth connection.
• Serve as a hub for bringing together technologists, educators, and program leaders who can collaborate to create new experiences for young people.

Manage US State Department program

• Manage the staff associated with and funded by federal programs.
• Maintain relationships with US State Department team.
• Manage and fulfill responsibilities associated with State Department grants.
• Support grantees and gather lessons based on grantee experiences.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

Ideal candidates will be able to work flexibly and collaboratively while demonstrating a commitment to creating impactful global leadership opportunities for young people. In addition, ideal candidates will have:

• Minimum 15+ years’ experience as a recognized leader in field required.
• A start-up mentality and the ability to create new opportunities quickly.
• A focus on innovation and an ability to anticipate future needs and take calculated risks to help the program thrive.
• A proven ability to craft, communicate and execute on a vision.
• Experience building strategic partnerships with governments, companies and multilateral initiatives.
• A track record of success in fundraising.
• Experience leading global teams.
• Strong diplomatic and negotiation skills and a demonstrated history of successfully applying these skills in an international context.
• Experience working in a variety of cultural settings and a proven ability to create impactful cross-cultural experiences for young people.
• An innovative approach to fostering student connection.
• A facility in working with new technology with a vision for adapting that technology to serve young people.
• The ability to represent the Stevens Initiative before a wide range of audiences across cultures and backgrounds.
• The ability to manage and work productively with staff of a variety of backgrounds and ages.
• A spirit of collaboration and co-creation when addressing a challenge.
• Experience leading teams through change to achieve extraordinary results.
• The ability to work nimbly and flexibly through uncertainty.
• Strong skills in working with others to solve problems.
• Experience measuring program impact and adapting to increase impact.
• A spirit of possibility, fun, and optimism.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter.

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.