Program Manager in New York, New York 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.

BUSINESS & SOCIETY

The Aspen Institute Business & Society Program (Aspen BSP) is a policy program of the Aspen Institute. Aspen BSP works with business executives and scholars to align business decisions and investments with the long-term health of society—and the planet. Through carefully designed networks, working groups and focused dialogue, the Program identifies and inspires thought leaders and “intrapreneurs” to challenge conventional ideas about capitalism and markets, to test new measures of business success and to connect classroom theory and business practice. 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.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Program Manager will actively support two areas of Business& Society’s work: Economic Mobility and Aspen Business & Society Summit.

Economic mobility in the United States is declining, threatening the strength of the workforce, the resilience of communities, and the long-term performance of American businesses. Because business shapes jobs, wages, and opportunity at scale, companies are uniquely positioned to reverse this trend—unlocking growth while strengthening economic ladders for workers and families. The Aspen Institute Economic Mobility Fellowship convenes innovative leaders from large companies across industries to learn what works and what doesn’t, gain the tools to lead change inside complex organizations, and identify new ways to align business incentives with the success of employees, customers, and communities.

Every July, the Aspen Institute Business & Society Program draws together 200+ leaders for the Business & Society Summit, an invitation-only immersive gathering at the frontier of business leadership. The program is designed as a dialogue among corporate executives along with long-term investors, corporate governance experts, academic luminaries, NGO leaders, and strategic advisors. The 2026 Summit will be held at the Aspen Meadows Resort on July 6 – 9, 2026.

This position reports directly to the Assistant Director. The salary range for this role is $88,000 - $92,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the ?Program Manager 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

ECONOMIC MOBILITY

FELLOWSHIP DESIGN AND FACILITATION

• Support the design, planning and execution of the Economic Mobility Fellowship, ensuring a high-quality participant experience and alignment with program goals and theory of change.
• Contribute to the development of seminar agendas, session objectives and learning outcomes in partnership with internal colleagues and external experts.
• Facilitate certain internal meetings and selected fellowship sessions and contribute actively to post-session synthesis and program learning.
• Manage and steward relationships with Fellowship participants, alumni, partners, and speakers in conjunction with the Fellowship Director.
• Support recruitment and selection processes for the Economic Mobility Fellowship, including outreach strategy, messaging development, and candidate pipeline cultivation.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

• Synthesize insights from Fellowship activities, taskforces, and dialogues into internal briefs and external-facing materials.
• Support the integration of Economic Mobility work across BSP initiatives, including the annual Business & Society Summit and other cross-program collaborations.
• Stay informed about emerging trends, research, and practices related to economic mobility and inclusive business, and apply this knowledge to program strategy and design.
• Contribute to fundraising and partnership development efforts by preparing materials, conducting research, and supporting donor and partner engagement.

ADMINISTRATION/PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Manage end-to-end project planning, timelines, budget tracking and workflows across the Economic Mobility Fellowship and related Economic Mobility pillar initiatives.
• Oversee logistical planning and execution for seminars and other convenings in close coordination with the Events Manager, including venue selection and coordination, experience design, materials production, participant communications, and travel logistics.
• Prepare program materials, communications, surveys and reports – ensuring accuracy, clarity and professionalism.
• Develop and maintain systems to track progress, decisions, and outcomes across multiple concurrent workstreams – including managing databases related to participant engagement, recruitment, and evaluation – and identify opportunities to improve systems and processes.
• Track invoices payments and contracts related to program activities, coordinating with operations colleagues as needed.
• Coordinate with consultants and external partners as needed, ensuring deliverables are met on time and within scope.
• Work closely with communications, operations and other program colleagues to ensure alignment and smooth execution

ASPEN BUSINESS & SOCIETY SUMMIT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Produce, manage, and track recruitment outreach for event participants, speakers and facilitators, including drafting templates, formatting and editing materials, and/or sending email outreach.
• Execute project plans and manage the distribution, follow-up and tracking of event tasks and milestones
• Conduct research and analysis, including assessments of potential program participants or companies based on their business action on environmental issues, social impact and/or corporate governance topics
• Address risks and issues affecting project deadlines and maintain clear and consistent communication on status.
• Set up and participate in meetings/research calls and synthesize findings
• Coordinate with participants, speakers and facilitators on various aspects of event involvement
• Collaborate with program development staff, which primarily includes the Assistant Director managing the Summit, but can also include other members of the Aspen BSP staff working on the event.
• Attend the event and assist with various staff responsibilities, including on-site logistics, relationship development, and facilitation support.

AGENDA DEVELOPMENT

• Maintain topical idea trackers and databases related to program agenda development, which includes organizing emerging session topics and continually assessing and tracking what can be addressed as part of the agenda.
• Manage the development and execution of topical ‘roundtable’ sessions during the Summit, including tracking ideas, selecting speakers, coordinating with speakers, and coordinating with operations staff on participant registration
• Lead development of Economic Mobility track at the Summit, working closely with the Summit Director and other staff to identify appropriate session themes, identify potential speakers, and bringing in new participants focused on economic mobility

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in program development and management or convenings with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex programs or initiatives from design through execution.
• Strong program design skills with experience shaping agendas, learning objectives and participant experiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort engaging senior executives and external stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking skills, including the ability to synthesize information, anticipate needs, and propose thoughtful solutions.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Interest or experience with economic mobility, inequality, workforce issues or the role of business in addressing societal challenges
• Proficiency with common digital tools for project management, CRM, communication and collaboration, and comfort learning new systems.

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.