ABOUT US

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

To achieve our mission of a more free, just, and equitable society, we commit to working proactively to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our myriad endeavors such as the recruitment, compensation, training, and advancement of staff. The best people-serving institutions make this commitment, and we seek to be a leader in the ways that we do so and learn from others. Visit our website to learn more about our commitment and recent actions taken toward building and nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment.

Energy and Environment Program (EEP)

The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program (EEP) explores significant challenges with diverse thinkers and doers to make a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable society for all. We address critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues through non-partisan, non-ideological convening, with the specific intent of bringing together diverse stakeholders to improve the process and progress of policy-level dialogue. This enables EEP to sit at a critical intersection in the conversation and bring together diverse groups of expert stakeholders. In addition to energy and environmental policy, which the program has been addressing for several decades, EEP is now actively and purposefully engaging in climate change policy – mitigating the effects of climate change, adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change, and the international cooperation needed to achieve these goals.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Program Assistant is a key member of the Energy and Environment Program team, working on various topical areas, specifically within the Zero Emission Maritime Buyer’s Alliance (ZEMBA) as well as other areas that EEP may cover. The Program Assistant will work on a variety of projects, offer executive assistant support and will provide high-level administrative support to senior staff at the Aspen Energy & Environment’s Ocean & Climate team.

This position reports to the Senior Director, Ocean & Climate and in close coordination with key senior staff. The salary range for this position is $50,000-$55,000. This role is a limited term position set to end after 18-months, on December 31, 2026, with a possibility to extend based on availability of grant funds.

In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Program Assistant should be willing to be in-person with colleagues a minimum of 40% of the time while having the flexibility to work remotely for the balance. In-person consists of meaningful connections with colleagues in an office, traveling to a different office or location to meet fellow staff members, at an Aspen event, at a meeting outside the office or other opportunities to meet in person with teammates and colleagues.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides administrative assistance such as tracking, responding to, and drafting e-mails, drafting memos, and preparing meeting and event materials;
• Organizes meeting logistics, including scheduling, sending reminders, and organizing key operations, including catering, when necessary;
• Maintains accurate records;
• Other duties as assigned.

Administrative Support Duties

• Triages and assures timely response to internal and external inquiries and requests; manages follow-up on a wide variety of topics and priorities;
• Have the ability to handle confidential materials and records with a high degree of integrity and discretion;
• Coordinates calendars, schedules, tracks, and manages meetings with key stakeholders and internal staff in close collaboration with Senior staff;
• Supports Senior Director and other senior staff in meetings and events, including creating prep materials, advanced briefing, and tracking follow-up; attend meetings and takes notes as needed;
• Supports administration related to Ocean & Climate team speaking engagements;
• Supports research, tracking, and communications efforts of the program, including working with the Ocean & Climate External Affairs team as needed.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• Undergraduate college degree.
• A strong ability and desire to rapidly learn new subject matter.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously, master workflow details, and self-prioritize.
• Excellent time management skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work autonomously and with a small team.
• The ability to plan, organize, and follow through with staff and a variety of constituencies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent computer and administrative skills, particularly Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, Google Workspace, Monday.com.
• Professional and diplomatic interpersonal skills required.
• Demonstrable ability to discern political, economic and cultural beliefs and ideologies related to policy questions and subject matter, including participant and institutional biases.
• Willingness and ability to travel, with as much as 10-20% of the time during certain peak times of the year.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.

The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.

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