ABOUT USÂ

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.Â

CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP

The Center for Leadership exists to ignite and nurture leadership potential in its constituents, building meaningful connections that generate lasting impact. Its work is to inspire, challenge and support leaders with different perspectives to understand how and where they can make a difference and live lives of deeper meaning and greater individual and collective impact. By supporting, connecting, and incubating leadership programs across the Aspen Institute, it fosters a global community of courageous and well connected leaders in real relation with one another working across their differences in service of a better world.

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ABOUT THIS ROLEÂ

The Assistant Director, Editorial Operations serves as the operational backbone of Aspen seminar intellectual resources. This individual leads the production team responsible for the end-to-end creation of over 100 seminar books annually. The role requires a unique blend of project management rigor, rights and permissions expertise, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders with care.

In addition to overseeing production operations, the Assistant Director is tasked with modernizing internal systems and curating the organization’s extensive readings library. This position is ideal for a proactive leader who can balance the technical demands of supporting the needs of dozens of internal and external clients across the Aspen Institute, with the nuances of high-touch customer service.

This position reports directly to the EVP, Center for Leadership. The salary range for this position is $112,000 - $125,000. This position is located at the Aspen Institute’s Washington, D.C office. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Assistant Director 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. Â

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WHAT YOU WILL DOÂ Â

Management of Seminar Design and Book ProductionÂ

• Team Leadership: Manages a small production staff, ensuring the team remains high-performing, motivated, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Production Oversight: Directs the full lifecycle of seminar book production, maintaining strict quality control and ensuring all deadlines are met across multiple workstreams.
• Permissions Management: Oversees the process of securing permissions for all readings/text excerpts used in publications, ensuring compliance with intellectual property standards and international copyright laws.
• Stakeholder Relations: Serves as a primary liaison to 10+ internal programs, providing tailored support and navigating the specific preferences of diverse program leads.

Information Systems InnovationÂ

• Process Innovation: Evaluates existing production workflows and implements innovative strategies to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and leverage new technologies, including AI.
• Resource Management: Curates the internal readings library and other resources for purposes of seminar design as well as book production. Develops accessible, user-friendly systems for sharing these resources with Center for Leadership stakeholders.

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVEÂ

• Bachelor's degree in liberal arts or humanities-related area required.Â
• Minimum 7+ years of experience managing high-volume, multi-stage projects with precision and the ability to remain calm under pressure.Â
• Experience in the publishing industry preferred.
• Experience managing subrights and securing permissions preferred.
• Experience managing teams in fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with others from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Experience with database management (preferably with Salesforce or similar CRM system), AI models, project management tools, library systems and knowledge management systems.
• A proven track record of incorporating new technologies into systems and resource management to improve operational processes.
• Strong professional written and oral communication skills and confidence interacting professionally with high-profile individuals.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-service skills, with the ability to build rapport and maintain flexibility when working with various departments.
• Willingness and ability to travel in the US and internationally as much as 15% certain periods of the year.

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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