Senior Associate in Washington, District of Columbia at The Aspen Institute

ABOUT US

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.

CENTER FOR RISING GENERATIONS

The Center for Rising Generations (CRG) at the Aspen Institute works to make civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development a predictable part of the journey to adulthood for 14 to 24 year olds. CRG works with partner organizations to build leadership opportunities for young people and to show those organizations how to co-create their work with young people.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Senior Associate will manage two youth advisory bodies, and each body will account for about half of the Senior Associate's time.

The first body is CRG's own Youth Advisory Council, a group of young people aged 18 to 24 from different sectors and backgrounds who advise CRG's leadership on its programs and strategy. The Senior Associate will manage the recruitment, application process, council meetings, member relationships, and recommendations to CRG.

The second body is a new youth advisory committee that CRG is designing and running for an emerging philanthropy focused on careers and economic mobility for young people. The committee will have 20 members aged 18 to 29 from across the United States, and the members will serve a paid 12-month term from January 2027 through December 2027.

The salary range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000. This is a term-limited position set to end December 2027, with the potential to extend pending manager approval. The Senior Associate will report to CRG's Director of Strategic Initiatives on the CRG YAC and to the Director of Partnerships on the emerging philanthropy’s YAC (titled TBD) and will work with CRG's Vice President, Executive Vice President, operations staff, and communications staff, as well as with staff at the partner philanthropy. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Program Associate should be willing to be in-person with colleagues a minimum of 3 days a week, while having the flexibility to work remotely for the balance.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

CRG Youth Advisory Council

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Youth Advisory Council members, including onboarding new members and answering member questions.
• Plan and facilitate Youth Advisory Council meetings, including [the annual in-person retreat and regular virtual meetings].
• Schedule meetings between council members and CRG leadership so that council members can discuss their recommendations with the staff who make decisions about CRG's programs.
• Track each recommendation the council makes, record the action CRG takes on each recommendation, and report those actions back to the council.
• Involve council members in CRG programs and events, such as the Rising Generations Summit, where the council's role fits the program.
• Manage [member stipends, term dates, and recruitment of new members] for the council in coordination with CRG's operations staff.
• Share practices between the Youth Advisory Council and the partner philanthropy's committee, and contribute examples from the Youth Advisory Council to the playbook CRG will publish on building youth advisory bodies.

Partner Philanthropy Youth Advisory Committee

Recruitment and selection

• Manage the full application, review, and selection process for the committee, from the opening of the application through the notification of every applicant.
• Manage the committee application form, the applicant tracking system, and the list of partner organizations distributing the opportunity.
• Prepare the midpoint report showing which outreach channels are producing applicants and which composition priorities are underrepresented.
• Coordinate the two rounds of application review and compile reviewer scores.
• Schedule finalist conversations, draft one-page finalist profiles, prepare offer letters, and coordinate notification calls and messages to all applicants.

Onboarding

• Coordinate the virtual orientation and on-boarding sessions, and prepare materials explaining member expectations, the payment schedule, and the partner philanthropy's history and plans.
• Help adapt the partner philanthropy's internal documents into formats that committee members can read and respond to.

Committee operations

• Schedule and co-facilitate the monthly virtual committee meetings, and support the three or four project teams by tracking timelines and preparing materials.
• Plan the logistics of the two-day in-person training with CRG's operations staff, including travel, lodging, meals, and accessibility needs.
• Plan the two-day in-person training with CRG's operations staff, including travel, lodging, meals, and accessibility needs.
• Track attendance and write the one-page summary CRG sends to the partner philanthropy after each committee meeting.
• Coordinate opportunities for members to speak at events, present in webinars, and write op-eds.
• Serve as the first point of contact for members who encounter personal or family difficulties, and apply the member support protocol.
• Confirm with CRG's operations staff that members receive their stipend payments in January 2027 and July 2027.
• Organize focus groups and surveys with young people outside the committee, and coordinate the one-time virtual session with 16 and 17 year olds, including the parental consent process.

Program design and professional learning

• Develop the timeline, objectives, and learning sequence for the committee's year, in coordination with CRG leadership and the partner philanthropy.
• Develop, plan, and coordinate facilitation for the professional learning opportunities offered to committee members during the year, including the professional development seminars and the two-day in-person training.
• Develop all materials for the committee, including materials for on-boarding sessions, monthly meetings, trainings, professional learning sessions, and project team work.

Partnership management, evaluation, and communications

• Draft and manage all communications for the committee, including messages to applicants and members, updates to the partner philanthropy, and public communications prepared with CRG's communications staff.
• Serve as CRG's day-to-day contact for the independent evaluator.
• Collect member permissions before any member appears in public communications, and draft sections of CRG's playbook.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

Required

• Three to five years of experience in program management, youth development, workforce development, or a related field.
• Experience facilitating meetings or programs with young adults, including virtual meetings.
• Experience managing a recruitment or application process.
• Strong writing skills, including the ability to write short, accurate summaries for senior staff and partner organizations.
• Ability to manage two programs with different partners and timelines at the same time.
• Availability to travel for in-person trainings, retreats, and occasional partner convenings.

Preferred

• Experience with youth councils, advisory boards, or other structures in which young people advise an organization.
• Experience working with young people in apprenticeships, the trades, health care programs, community colleges, or entry-level jobs.
• Experience working with a philanthropy or with grant-funded programs.

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.