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.

THE CENTER FOR RISING GENERATIONS

The Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations (CRG) is dedicated to ensuring that civil dialogue, civic engagement, and leadership development become a predictable part of the journey to adulthood in our society and around the world. Inspired by the Aspen Institute’s strategic plan and supported by a generous endowment from the Bezos Family Foundation, the Center for Rising Generations:

• Works to expand opportunities for, and elevate the voices of, youth and young adults at the Aspen Institute
• Creates opportunities to convene and build community beyond the Aspen Institute
• Encourages innovation that helps emphasize the assets that young people bring to help address today’s challenges

CRG supports placing early career professionals in high-responsibility positions throughout the Aspen Institute to create opportunities for career growth and to ensure youth voice is reflected across the Institute.

SPORTS & SOCIETY

The mission of the Sports & Society Program is to convene leaders, facilitate dialogue, and inspire solutions that help sport serve the public interest. Since 2011, we have provided an essential venue to explore the impact of sports on the world in which we live, think through major trends, and develop shared strategies that can help sport live up to its potential as a force for good.

Much of our work to date has been on the base of our sport ecosystem, youth and school sports, the foundation upon which everything else sits – college, professional and recreational sports – and the key to building healthy communities. We connect silos across a disjointed landscape, from leagues to local providers, foundations to policymakers, driving change through roundtables, research, and award-winning content.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

In partnership with the Center for Rising Generations, the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society program is launching an innovative program that will provide leadership development to high school athletic team captains across the country. Building on the Aspen Institute’s deep history of nurturing leadership through seminars, the Captains Leadership Academy will provide training to high school team captains that serve in communities across the country. During its first year, we anticipate working in a few select communities with plans to expand the program nationally in the coming years.

The salary for this opportunity is $65,000. This term-limited position is set to begin April 20^th, 2026, and will end April 23, 2027. The expectation is for this position to work out of the Washington D.C. office at least three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The CRG Associate for the Sports & Society program will be the project lead for the Captains Leadership Academy during its launch and pilot year. This complex project will include multiple strands of work. The Associate will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring each of these strands and reporting to their manager when the project is not on track for success.

• Monitor development of the Captains Leadership Academy Curriculum and Moderator training. Developed in a partnership between CRG and the Leadership Center, the seminar curriculum will be made up of readings and experiences that help high school students explore their own leadership.
• Help maintain relationships with partners. Working with the Center for Rising Generations and the Sports & Society program, we will identify potential partners for the pilot of the program. The associate will help with outreach and communication with the partners.
• Communications. The associate will work with Sports & Society’s communications team, CRG and Aspen Communications to share successes from the pilot of the program.
• Progress monitoring. The associate will monitor program successes including participant attendance and satisfaction and partner satisfaction.
• Lessons learned. The associate will create a “lessons learned” document to guide further expansion and improvement of the program.

The Associate may have opportunities to participate in other projects and will be expected to contribute to program priorities.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

• A bachelors degree is required.
• Experience working collaboratively to co-create solutions to complex problems with data visualizations, dynamic tools, or compelling case studies.
• A demonstrated ability to work with others who have different experiences, backgrounds, and opinions.
• An eagerness to learn new skills and apply those skills to ongoing projects.
• The ability to work within a large organization and to navigate differences in priorities and strategies.
• A proven ability to communicate effectively, accurately, and in a timely manner even when sharing disappointing news.
• A willingness to adapt to changing priorities and approaches.
• A spirit of possibility, fun, and optimism.
• Experience managing complex projects for clubs or organizations.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, even when dealing with complicated topics.
• Experience working with young athletes and participating in organized sports.
• Experience serving as a sports team captain is preferred.
• Ability to serve as a moderator or facilitator for discussions.
• Demonstrated experience building work plans that consider multiple, intersecting streams of work.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Through this one-year experience the CRG Associate will:

• Develop their leadership skills and will learn how to operate effectively in a large organization.
• Expand on their ability to develop a work plan; collaborate with others to effectuate the plan; review progress; make adjustments based on outcomes; and complete a project.
• Gain experience in building and distributing an education and leadership program for high school students.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter. Applications for this opportunity will close March 10, 2026.

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.

The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs, including the interview process. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please email hrsupport@aspeninstitute.org or call 202-736-2127 in advance of your visit. Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible. We will make every effort to fulfill requests, subject to availability.