ABOUT US


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.


GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH NETWORK (GOYN)

The Global Opportunity Youth Network (www.goyn.org), hosted at the Aspen Institute, is a pioneering, collaborative effort to support “Opportunity Youth” – young people aged 15-29 who are out of school, unemployed, or working in informal jobs – in communities around the world. GOYN addresses systemic barriers that prevent youth from accessing opportunity. GOYN’s current footprint includes 17 communities in nine countries (Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania) with plans to grow to 20 communities by 2026.

GOYN engages multiple partners and stakeholders across ecosystems, from young people and local NGOs to employers, funders, and consultants. At the global level, GOYN is supported by a group of technical and funding partners, including Global Development Incubator, Prudential Financial Inc., Accenture, and Conrad Hilton Foundation, as well as several other philanthropic partners.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

GOYN is seeking a professional, responsible, detail-oriented self-starter with experience in providing communications and program support in a fast-paced environment. The Program Associate will share a passion for advancing youth economic opportunity globally and a commitment to equity and addressing structural injustices that are barriers to youth accessing decent work. This candidate must be organized and flexible, have excellent writing and digital media skills, experience with content creation, and the ability to interact with staff and external stakeholders at all levels. This position requires excellent project management, time management, and communication skills, and superior knowledge of digital audiences, social platforms, and design tools.

The Program Associate will report into the Deputy Director and may work with other core team members such as the Founding Director, the Associate Director, Partnerships, and various other members of the core GOYN team. This position is term-limited for a period of six months, with the possibility of extension based on budget and managerial approval. The salary range for this role is $58,000 - $68,000 annualized. The expectation is for this role to be in our Washington D.C. office a minimum of 2x a week to collaborate with colleagues.



WHAT YOU WILL DO

Grant Management (50%)

• GOYN Subgrants & Contracts - Coordinate grants, subgrants, and contracts processes including facilitating due diligence review with Aspen Legal and GOYN program staff, partners, and vendors
• Payments – Process payments to GOYN partners, vendors, and contractors based on scopes of work and agreed payment schedules
• Global Grant Reporting & Coordination – Lead coordination of narrative and financial reporting to GOYN global funders,including contributing to drafting narrative reports and soliciting timely inputs from various team members and maintaining schedule of grant reporting deadlines to ensure timely submission of reports to global funders
• Tracking & Organization - Maintain up-to-date database of grants, contracts, and payments for Director, Deputy Director, and Finance Manager to track and project expenses
• Internal Collaboration - Serve as liaison between GOYN and the Aspen Institute Legal and Finance teams, working closely with the AFCS Finance Manager. In addition, be a resource to GOYN staff providing them updated templates of grants and contracts that is in line with Aspen Institute policies

Communications (40%)

• Website Management – Lead ongoing management and strategic improvement of GOYN’s website (goyn.org), including regularly and proactively making content updates, coordinating directly with the web development vendor, soliciting contributions from team members and partners to inform content, and proactively identifying opportunities and implementing solutions to enhance site functionality, design, and user experience
• Content Creation – Partner with GOYN team to write or curate, design, and share engaging content for GOYN’s main digital channels across web, social media, video, and email newsletters; create and edit social graphics; optimize web content for search engines to help drive organic traffic
• Content Strategy – Apply communications best practices to develop and manage a robust content calendar for social media posts, email newsletters, launch of publications, and other communications, ensuring regular and timely distribution to build GOYN’s brand visibility and advance movement building objectives; work collaboratively with the team to maintain a consistent brand voice in all content
• Platform Management – Manage GOYN’s social media accounts, including Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube; maintain and optimize contact communications database; track and evaluate media analytics and recommend ways to optimize communications resources

Administrative Support (10%)

• Database Management - Update and maintain contact/partner databases on relevant software platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Airtable, iContact, Cven)
• Meeting Support – Participate in and take regular notes of various coordination calls/meetings, including external partner calls as needed; support Global Convening logistics
• Scheduling – Assist with GOYN team calendars and logistics and support in scheduling necessary meetings and conference calls
• File Management – Support in maintenance and streamlining of shared files and resources
• Internal Liaison – Liaise with other administrative departments (such as IT, web team, etc.) when necessary
• Ad Hoc Team Support – As needed, support GOYN on additional tasks and initiatives, such as high-effort proposals, event organization and logistics, and other duties as assigned

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 3 yrs. experience; equivalencies to experience such as a Master’s degree will be considered.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for strategic communications, with a strong interest in leveraging storytelling, digital platforms, and content creation to engage diverse audiences.
• Experience creating content calendars and implementing communications strategies.
• Proficiency in WordPress or basic HTML/CSS, or willingness to learn; knowledge of SEO and WordFence/security awareness a plus.
• Experience managing social media, including Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube; experience managing mass communications platforms like MailChimp, iContact, etc.
• Comfort and experience creating graphics with Canva or a similar tool, including within templates and original graphics.
• Strong project management skills; Ability to work in fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure.
• Experience supporting grants administration or management, including supporting grant reporting and tracking to global funders.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills; experience and ability to write professional correspondence and communicate with a variety of stakeholders.
• Proven success in crafting engaging digital content for websites, social media, and email including writing and editing concise and compelling online content.
• Passion for issues of youth opportunity, equity & justice, and dignified work for all.
• Experience and/or interest in global development (generally) and youth economic opportunity more specifically.
• Experience with event planning and/or logistics coordination a plus.
• Foreign language skills a plus (especially Spanish, Swahili, Portuguese, French, Hindi).
• Experience and comfort in global contexts, navigating cultural differences, working across time zones, etc.

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.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation regarding the accessibility of our website, a modification or adjustment of the job application or interview process due to a disability, contact HRSupport@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-5800.