Curriculum Manager

The Aspen Institute•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Curriculum Manager advances the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s mission to improve postsecondary student outcomes and economic mobility. The role develops high-impact instructional materials and executive learning experiences grounded in research on postsecondary reform, translating data and institutional concepts into field-facing content, case studies, and practical tools that help college leaders assess effectiveness and plan reforms. Working at the intersection of strategy, research, and pedagogy, the Curriculum Manager supports the end-to-end curriculum process and collaborates with Aspen’s senior team, senior fellows, project delivery staff, and field experts. The role calls for a strong instructional designer with knowledge of adult learning theory, executive engagement, and project management. The manager coordinates quality reviews, oversees production schedules, supports delivery teams, and uses evaluation data to continually improve learning materials. Relevant expertise in postsecondary leadership, transfer, workforce development, and/or instructional practice is valuable. The position is based in Aspen’s Washington, DC office, with a minimum of two days per week on-site, and may require approximately two to four weeks of travel per year. It reports to the Director of Leadership and Field Engagement. The salary range is $90,000 to $110,000.

Requirements

At least five years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, or adult professional learning.
A deep commitment to postsecondary student success and the belief that institutional outcomes can improve at scale through proven practices.
Demonstrated skill designing engaging learning experiences for college presidents, rising leaders, and senior teams.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate research and data into clear, concise, field-facing tools.
Strong project leadership skills, including managing concurrent timelines, meeting strict deadlines, and maintaining high quality standards.
Ability to collaborate across independent work, small teams, and large-scale coordination with external vendors, contractors, and third-party partners.
Comfort incorporating feedback from multiple organizational layers and adapting to shifting priorities.
Bachelor’s degree.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a higher education or community college context.
Familiarity with higher education leadership, transfer, or workforce development.
Experience with enterprise project management tools such as Asana.
Advanced degree in higher education, public policy, organizational leadership, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Develop field-facing instructional content, curricular maps, workshop agendas, case studies, participant tools, and slide decks based on research on higher education leadership, transfer, and post-graduation value.
Design and refine engaging in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous learning sessions grounded in adult learning theory and tailored to executive audiences.
Develop facilitation guides and briefing materials for internal and external facilitators.
Adapt core curricular assets for fee-for-service engagements, state system partnerships, and regional initiatives.
Support the creation and dissemination of practical guides, self-assessment toolkits, and open-access resources.
Ensure curricular products follow organizational style guidelines and brand voice, translating complex data and concepts into clear, actionable tools.
Analyze participant evaluation data, session recordings, and facilitator feedback to improve learning materials.
Integrate feedback from college leaders and external partners and incorporate emerging research and field-tested case studies into curricula.
Advise project teams on session design, pedagogical alignment, and facilitation strategies for in-person and virtual convenings.
Coordinate session design and logistics with project teams to deliver effective convening experiences.
Develop and maintain project schedules for concurrent curriculum deliverables, including milestones, staff assignments, and dependencies.
Manage project execution to ensure curricular assets meet standards for accuracy, quality, and clarity.
Establish structured quality review processes incorporating feedback from multiple organizational layers.