Associate Director, Executive Learning Design

The Aspen Institute•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Associate Director, Executive Learning Design is a senior leadership role within the Aspen Institute’s Education & Society Program (ESP). The role leads executive-level adult learning design, connecting organizational strategy and policy insight with transformative cohort experiences for senior education and government leaders. The Associate Director designs multi-year learning arcs and individual convenings for executive networks and cohorts, including large-district superintendents, state education chiefs, senior cabinet leaders, board chairs, philanthropic partners, and national policymakers. As a core member of the ESP leadership team and strategic partner to the Director, this leader helps codify Aspen’s learning methodology, combining empirical evidence, candid off-the-record dialogue, values-based leadership inquiry, and peer accountability to influence leadership practice and education policy. The role requires executive presence, strong pedagogical expertise, and an understanding of the political, operational, and adaptive realities of public education systems. The position reports directly to the Managing Director. The salary range is $125,000–$142,000. Travel and on-site attendance at convenings and major program events are required.

Requirements

8–10+ years of progressive leadership designing experiential, action-oriented learning arcs, executive seminars, or leadership networks tailored to cabinet-level leaders, superintendents, board members, or senior public-sector policymakers.
Proven expertise in dialogic pedagogy, executive inquiry, case-method learning, and structured debate techniques that foster candor and problem-solving among high-profile peers.
Sophisticated familiarity with K–12 public education governance, systemic equity barriers, state and federal policy dynamics, and the operational demands on senior school-system or government leaders.
Exceptional written communication skills and a record of producing concise, high-level briefing memos, narrative arcs, and convening materials under firm deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to advise senior organizational leadership, external institutional partners, and prominent national figures.
Track record leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives, managing contributing writers and subject-matter experts, and delivering projects with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to travel and attend convenings and major program events on-site.

Responsibilities

Serve as an active member of the ESP Executive Leadership Team, collaborating with senior colleagues on institutional priorities, strategic alignment, and organizational health.
Contribute to program-wide strategy, portfolio expansion, and development of new initiatives, ensuring learning design supports ESP’s mission and policy impact.
Serve as a senior liaison and strategic thought partner across Aspen Institute divisions, including the Center for Rising Generations.
Design coherent, multi-year learning arcs for flagship ESP networks and emerging executive cohorts, incorporating organizational priorities, legislative dynamics, research, and systemic equity frameworks.
Create detailed session designs, facilitator run-of-shows, discussion protocols, and case studies suited to senior executives’ needs and time constraints.
Design dialogue-centered learning environments using seminar inquiry, clinical problem-solving, simulations, peer learning, co-creation, and Chatham House Rule deliberations.
Identify, recruit, and brief faculty, policy leaders, researchers, and peer practitioners in partnership with senior leadership.
Align and coach invited experts, panelists, and keynote contributors to support rigorous dialogue, case analysis, and candid exchanges.
Oversee the curation and development of executive pre-reads, policy memos, session materials, and post-convening application frameworks.
Guide live convening sessions and coach moderators and facilitators to sustain intellectual depth, navigate political dynamics, and surface productive tensions.
Adapt session structures, prompts, and timelines in response to cohort dynamics while maintaining learning goals.
Design protocols that translate dialogue into policy takeaways, action commitments, and leadership practices.
Formalize, standardize, coach, train, and institutionalize ESP learning-design frameworks, tools, and convening standards.
Build team capacity in adult learning principles, best practices, and design.
Establish evaluation mechanisms to assess session effectiveness and long-term changes in executive practice, and use findings to improve program delivery.
Travel and be present on-site during convenings and major program events.