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.

NETWORK STRATEGY AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

The Aspen Institute’s Network Strategy and Enterprise Development function is dedicated to building, strengthening and enriching the interconnected network of Aspen Institute program alumni, participants, and stakeholders through online and in person engagements that are widely accessible, topical, and that build a sense of connection to the Institute.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Network Strategy and Enterprise Development CRG Associate will support an Institute-wide initiative to bridge the gap between young leaders and the vast array of engagement opportunities across the Aspen Institute. The Associate will conduct interviews and landscape analyses to identify and curate high-value experiences tailored specifically for Rising Gen audiences. The Associate’s work will focus on building multi-program relationships to streamline information sharing and develop pathways across programs. Ultimately, the Associate will support and architect the CRG’s 2027 launch on the Aspen Passport, ensuring the platform delivers a seamless, high-impact roadmap for sustained engagement.

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 Network Strategy and Enterprise Development CRG Associate will be the lead staff member focused on ensuring that young people are included in the Aspen Institute’s ambitious plan to create an Aspen Passport, a user-friendly, curated, accessible on-line portal to Aspen Institute programming. Working alongside the broader platform development team, the Associate will apply the same human-centered approaches, resources, and timeline that the Aspen Institute is using for the wider Aspen Passport project, but with a focus on young people. As part of this project the associate will engage in three phases of development:

1. Research and Analysis. The Associate will learn what opportunities and experiences potential consumers are interested in by conducting interviews and focus groups with youth alumni, youth program participants, youth-serving programs, and Aspen international partners.
2. Build and Testing. Based on the information gathered in the research and analysis phase, the Associate will begin to build out initial opportunities – both where they exist and where there’s opportunities to develop – for young people for testing and evaluation. This will include both information conveyed through newsletters and other share-outs and opportunities for on-line experiences for participants.
3. Improvement and Launch. After applying lessons learned during the build and testing stage, the Associate will support the launch of the youth Aspen Passport experience to a broader audience and monitor the first months of performance to recommend on-going improvements in 2027.
   

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 bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience working collaboratively to co-create solutions to complex problems.
• A demonstrated ability to work with others who have different experiences, backgrounds, and opinions.
• An eagerness to learn new skills such as human-centered design and apply those skills to on-going projects.
• The ability to work within a large organization and to navigate differences and build relationships that drive 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 working in human-centered design frameworks is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with large networks including membership organizations or clubs is preferred.
• Ability to collect and draw conclusions from quantitative and qualitative data gathering efforts.
• Knowledge of working in human-centered design environments in which discovery, testing, and experimentation drive improvement and iteration is preferred.

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 systems and structures that support networks of people

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.