Associate Director

The Aspen Institute•Washington, DC

11d•$135,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program seeks an Associate Director to strengthen community college leadership and improve student outcomes during college and after graduation, including bachelor’s degree attainment and employment in jobs with sustaining wages. The role requires expertise in higher education teaching and learning and a record of working directly with college presidents, senior teams, faculty leaders, and faculty to improve what students learn and how they learn it. The Associate Director will help colleges build the leadership commitment, faculty support, and institutional systems needed to scale effective practices beyond individual courses. The first assignment is to manage work integrating character development across the College Excellence Program portfolio. This includes developing framework papers on character and institutional leadership and the support structures needed to improve student success, as well as launching and managing a cohort of approximately 10 community colleges focused on effective teaching and learning strategies. The Associate Director will help design college selection processes, deliver a research-aligned curriculum, guide participating colleges in aligning reforms with effective practices, and support implementation. The Associate Director will also apply teaching and learning expertise across other Aspen initiatives, including Unlocking Opportunity, transfer intensives, and presidential fellowships. The role will support actionable strategies for experiential, career-connected, and work-based learning. It involves close collaboration with Aspen’s senior team, staff, research personnel, external partners, community college leaders, trustees, and national association and nonprofit leaders. The position reports to CEP’s Director of Leadership and Field Engagement. Aspen strongly prefers the role to be based in its Washington, DC office, with at least two days per week on-site and approximately 8–12 weeks of travel per year. The salary range is $135,000–$160,000.

Requirements

At least 7 years of relevant education experience at an educational institution, association, nonprofit, or education provider, including direct work with college leaders and teams.
Deep commitment to postsecondary student success and belief that institutional outcomes can improve at scale through proven practices.
Extensive higher education reform experience, specifically in teaching and learning, including work with faculty on instruction, curriculum, and program design and with college leaders to scale reforms that measurably improve student outcomes.
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, overseeing in-person events, and delivering high-quality work on demanding timelines with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to mentor program staff, hold them accountable, collaborate across organizational divisions and project teams, and coordinate with external consultants and partners.
Attention to detail, sound judgment in project and event logistics, and a patient, resourceful, quality-focused approach to problem-solving.
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 change.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

Experience aligning teaching and learning strategies with workforce preparation, work-based learning, or transfer to a bachelor’s degree.
Advanced degree in higher education, public policy, organizational leadership, or a related field.
Experience or expertise in character development or character education.
Based in or able to work from Aspen’s Washington, DC office at least two days per week.

Responsibilities

Co-create and implement character-development projects that advance post-completion student outcomes across work focused on leadership, institutional reform, and student success.
Work with Aspen research staff to turn qualitative evidence and field insights into actionable frameworks, publications, and scaled strategies.
Collaborate with senior team members, content experts, and project staff to design and manage learning communities, convenings, and peer-exchange networks for community college leaders and teams.
Partner with senior Aspen leaders on a national strategy integrating character development into community college presidential search, hiring, and onboarding.
Facilitate strategy sessions and preparatory workshops for community college presidents, senior executives, and faculty to set teaching and learning priorities, align resources and accountability, and support faculty-led improvement.
Oversee and contribute to field-facing publications, case studies, research reports, and executive presentations, and support their dissemination.
Maintain trust-based relationships with foundation program officers, partners, and field stakeholders.
Lead grant reporting, proposal development, and stewardship activities aligned with funding objectives.
Direct projects and convenings from concept through completion, ensuring deliverables meet organizational standards.
Coordinate internal Aspen teams and external partners to meet project milestones on time and within budget.
Manage a complex grant budget of up to $10 million, including cost accounting, budget-to-actual reconciliation, forecasting, and cost control.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate project staff.
Design and manage a cohort of approximately 10 community colleges focused on scaling effective teaching and learning strategies, including selection, curriculum delivery, reform alignment, and implementation support.
Apply teaching and learning expertise across Aspen’s broader portfolio, including Unlocking Opportunity, transfer intensives, and presidential fellowships.