CE 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.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Reporting to and working with the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer is responsible and accountable for the strategic, programmatic, financial, and management operations of the Aspen Institute, including supporting programs and promoting their excellence and impact. While possessing a business acumen and operational discipline to further build the enterprise capacity, they also must bring the vision and energy to inspire a diverse community of external partners and supporters to sustain excellence and navigate strategic inflection points.

This is a high-profile, high-impact role for a leader who is purpose-driven, thrives in complexity, leads with integrity, and turns convening into measurable outcomes. The CEO will advance a globally visible institution that is not only a forum for ideas but an accelerator for action, delivering results that are felt in communities, in boardrooms, and in the corridors of government. The successful CEO will have an opportunity to create a transformational legacy: the Aspen Institute will speak with greater clarity, act with greater cohesion, and invite more people, especially rising generations, into a trusted space where ideas become solutions that strengthen society for generations to come.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Setting a bold, future-facing vision that builds on the Institute’s strategic plan while ensuring its priorities are aligned with the most urgent and emerging issues facing society;
• Serving as the Institute’s chief storyteller and public voice—articulating its mission, values, and impact to a global community of partners, funders, leaders, and rising generations—while expanding reach and relevance by engaging new audiences through both traditional and emerging media and technologies;
• Cultivating trust, sustaining credibility, and building collaborative relationships across sectors, generations, political affiliations, ideological backgrounds, global geographies, and diverse perspectives;
• Strengthening organizational excellence by ensuring the right structures, talent, systems, and incentives are in place to support impact, collaboration, and operational discipline;
• Leading strategic fundraising efforts that fuel institutional priorities, expand impact, and enable long-term sustainability and growth;
• Integrating ideas, initiatives, and expertise across the Institute to achieve broader, collective impact, while championing an entrepreneurial culture that drives alignment, consistency, quality, and accountability.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• Experience Leading a Complex Organization. Demonstrated success and high level of performance translating bold ideas into measurable results and aligning strategy, priorities, talent, and resources across complex organizations. Proven operational acumen, thoughtful decisiveness, financial sophistication, critical and creative thinking, and experience managing growth and change and complex internal / external dynamics to advance shared goals.
• Intellectual Range with the Capacity for Meaningful Dialogue. Intellectually curious, with strong intelligence and an appreciation for the full range of the Institute’s impact areas. Ability to listen and synthesize and express ideas to advance understanding. A convener and bridge builder who forges connections, builds trust, and brings presence and gravitas to engage diverse and even opposing stakeholders in meaningful dialogue across the Institute’s work.
• Aptitude for Communication, Relationship Building and Fundraising. A compelling communicator who listens deeply and conveys ideas with clarity, courage, and conviction. The aptitude to be an effective fundraiser and relationship builder, securing resources from a variety of sources for both operational and programmatic support.
• Inspiring Leadership and Effective Management Style. Champions the mission and leads with integrity. Strong managerial skills and effectiveness in recruiting and retaining best-in-class talent with the ability to inspire and create a positive, collaborative, and inclusive culture. A leader who understands how the diversity of viewpoints and experiences strengthens dialogue and who can intentionally cultivate spaces where that diversity leads to richer insight, trust, and partnership. A flexible thinker who is comfortable with ambiguity, willing to take principled risks, and energized by complexity and possibility. Has experience working effectively with a highly engaged Board.
• Credible Nonpartisan Leadership. A track record of being an independent thinker, inquisitive and fact-based, and politically savvy, who can uphold the Institute’s reputation as a nonpartisan organization.
• Emotional Intelligence. A leader who is self-aware, empathetic, humble and animated by the humanistic values that inspired the Institute’s founding.

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