Associate Director

The Aspen Institute•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program seeks an Associate Director to serve as a primary operational lead and strategic partner in advancing its national and state-based transfer portfolio. The role focuses on higher education reform, including community college transfer systems and alignment of two- and four-year pathways, while also supporting four-year institutions to advance economic mobility, meet workforce needs, and strengthen the value of bachelor’s degrees. An early priority is designing and delivering a multi-year project engaging college teams nationally to improve transfer pathways aligned with good jobs. The initiative includes technical assistance and coaching for college partnerships, national and state networks, and executive convenings to identify structural barriers, align curricula, and implement proven practices. The Associate Director leads project content, operations, finances, and people management, with a focus on improving student outcomes and connecting degree completion to economic opportunity. The position is preferably based in the Aspen Institute’s Washington, DC office, with a minimum of two days per week onsite and approximately 8–12 weeks of travel per year. The Associate Director reports to the College Excellence Program’s Director of Research and Innovation.

Requirements

At least seven years of relevant experience in education at an educational institution, association, nonprofit, or education provider.
Direct engagement with community college leaders and senior teams.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Deep commitment to postsecondary student success and belief that institutional outcomes can improve at scale through proven practices.
Extensive experience with higher education institutional reform, including experience in at least some of these areas: community colleges, four-year institutions, 2+2 transfer, regional workforce development, or employer partnerships.
Strong executive presence and written and oral communication skills to represent Aspen’s work to college presidents, system leaders, and philanthropic funders.
Experience managing complex, high-stakes initiatives, tracking grant milestones, and delivering high-quality work on demanding timelines with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to mentor program staff, hold them accountable, work across organizational divisions and project teams, and coordinate with external consultants and partners.
Attention to detail, sound judgment in project logistics, and a patient, resourceful, quality-focused problem-solving approach.
Ability to synthesize quantitative data and qualitative field evidence into actionable institutional strategies and field-facing tools.
Comfort incorporating feedback, navigating ambiguity, and adjusting priorities as demands shift.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in higher education, public policy, organizational leadership, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Lead the strategic execution and continuous improvement of national and state-based transfer and four-year portfolios to advance student access, bachelor’s degree completion, and career success.
Develop and implement systems for technical assistance and coaching for two- and four-year college presidents and senior leadership teams.
Design and facilitate executive convenings, regional workshops, and site visits that foster trust, peer learning, and institutional reform.
Create practical tools and implementation guides informed by field insights and student outcome data, in collaboration with staff across Aspen teams.
Build and steward relationships with higher education systems, state coordinating boards, research organizations, and philanthropic partners.
Set agendas for internal and external stakeholder meetings that balance strategic discussion with project execution.
Oversee day-to-day project operations, milestone tracking, and narrative reporting to ensure accountability and alignment with funder commitments.
Manage high-stakes partnerships with external organizations to support strategic alignment and high-quality execution.
Work with senior team members to assess and improve project strategy and implementation.
Oversee project budgets, grant expenditures, and subgrant allocation processes in coordination with finance and operations leads.
Directly manage, supervise, and mentor program staff, setting clear deliverables and supporting professional development.
Engage with the senior team to apply lessons from the initiative, develop new projects, and support fundraising.