Marketing Project Manager

Cato Institute•Washington, DC

1d•$70,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Cato is seeking an experienced, solutions-oriented Marketing Project Manager to join our growing Marketing team. In this role, you will help bring Cato’s ideas and initiatives to life. Reporting within the Marketing department but working across the Institute, you will help lead and coordinate complex, cross-functional initiatives involving policy scholars, senior leadership, web/digital teams, communications, and creative partners. You’re skilled at assembling the right team, driving accountability, managing timelines, and keeping stakeholders aligned from concept through execution. You excel at building structured project plans that span multiple teams and ensuring that strategy, creative, and execution come together seamlessly. This is a highly visible, fast-paced role; you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across Cato to deliver work that advances our mission. The position is hybrid, based in Washington, DC, and includes two in-office days and three remote days per week. The projected salary range for this role is $70,000 - $110,000 per year. Compensation is based on the successful candidate's educational background, experience, and skills. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE TALENT MARKET APPLICATION! About Cato The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues. Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters , a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace – animate Cato’s research to this day. The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

5+ years of project management experience—preferably in marketing, communications, or a creative agency environment—with extensive use of project management software (e.g., Wrike) to manage complex, cross-functional workflows.
Demonstrated interest in public policy and in Cato’s mission to advance a free and open society
Proven success leading multi-team projects involving marketing/advertising, content generation, creative content production, and PR/communications
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities simultaneously
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to summarize, document, and present project information clearly and persuasively
Skilled at leading meetings, setting agendas, documenting decisions, and driving accountability
Strategic thinker with a proactive, problem-solving mindset and the confidence to lead across departments and seniority levels
Collaborative, approachable, and comfortable operating in a fast-moving, high-visibility environment
At least an understanding of and comfort level with AI tools to optimize workflow efficiency
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Public Policy, Political Science, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Project management certification(s) (e.g., PMP) and/or MBA
Experience working closely with policy, nonprofit, or mission-driven organizations

Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Strategy Lead planning, management, and execution of major marketing initiatives, including nationwide campaigns, policy launches, product marketing, and thought-leadership programs
Translate strategic priorities into clear, actionable project plans with defined scope, milestones, and KPIs
Conduct project scoping and requirements gathering; ensure alignment among stakeholders across Cato departments
Advise senior leadership on project status, risks, and strategic considerations
Cross-Functional Coordination Coordinate work across stakeholders, including policy scholars, designers, writers, digital teams, communications, and external partners
Ensure all participants understand goals, roles, timelines, and expectations
Serve as the primary point of contact to streamline communication among diverse contributors
Project Execution & Workflow Management Build and maintain project schedules, workflows, and critical paths to ensure timely delivery
Identify bottlenecks and proactively remove obstacles to maintain momentum.
Oversee creative briefs, content development, review cycles, revisions, and approval processes
Maintain standards for process clarity, documentation, and alignment across teams
Project Administration Use Cato’s project management platform to plan, assign, track, and report on cross-functional work
Maintain dashboards, roadmaps, and reporting tools for team and executive visibility
Promote best practices for task management, project tracking, and workflow optimization within the platform
Quality Control & Performance Evaluation Uphold standards of quality across all creative, editorial, and digital deliverables.
Conduct post-project evaluations to identify lessons learned and improve future workflows
Help measure campaign performance
Creative & Content Integration Ensure strategic alignment between messaging, creative assets, and distribution channels
Support development of briefs that define audiences, objectives, messaging pillars, and success measures
Collaborate closely with creative teams to keep deliverables accurate, high-quality, and on mission
Stakeholder Management Keep stakeholders informed through structured updates, clear documentation, and proactive communication
Manage expectations related to project scope, timing, and resource requirements
Lead productive meetings, stand-ups, and cross-team coordination sessions
Process Improvement Identify and implement opportunities to streamline workflows and improve team efficiency
Contribute to building a project management discipline within Cato through templates, standards, and best practices