Position Title: Program Associate
Program/Dept: Economic Opportunities Program/FIELD
Position Location: Washington, DC
FLSA Status: Exempt
Full time/part time: Full-Time
The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways:
· Seminars, which help participants reflect on what they think makes a good society, thereby deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives and enhancing their capacity to solve the problems leaders face.
· Young-leader fellowships around the globe, which bring a selected class of proven leaders together for an intense multi-year program and commitment. The fellows become better leaders and apply their skills to significant challenges.
· Policy programs, which serve as nonpartisan forums for analysis, consensus building, and problem solving on a wide variety of issues.
· Public conferences and events, which provide a commons for people to share ideas.
The Institute is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, New York and on the Wye River near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
FIELD, housed within the Economic Opportunities Program at the Aspen Institute has supported and strengthened the U.S. microenterprise field for almost 20 years. Our staff conducts research on innovative strategies, provides training and leadership development to microenterprise program leaders, and develops tools and infrastructure to support efficient and effective programming. We work hard to bridge the gap between leaders working in public policy and philanthropy and leaders of grassroots, direct-service organizations.
Basic Function
Are you that unique person that gets people *and* data? Do you relish the chance to interact and learn from hundreds of community development organizations across the country that help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses? Do you think the non-profit sector is on the cusp of transformation through data-driven decision making? Does a staff based in Toronto, Miami, DC, Chicago, and central New Jersey seem perfectly reasonable? If so, you could be our new Program Associate.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Daily, you’ll:
- manage the further development and administration of www.microTracker.org, the portal to the most complete, transparent data on the U.S. microenterprise development industry, and help the quantity and quality of data available on the site,--and the data analytic tools to use that data—to increase.
- proselytize and educate microenterprise program staff (from interns to directors) about why data is important and not just a burden--and teach specific ways to make data work.
- recruit new subscribers to microTracker by doing constant outreach and marketing, one-to-one, in small groups via the web, and at conferences and other group settings
- retain subscribers to microTracker by providing top-notch member services, over the phone, web and via email
- be a data coach to microenterprise programs—, giving them feedback on data improvements, and helping them understand what their data means, and how to use it for program improvement and accountability to funders
- analyze the data and contribute to industry-wide studies that document the scope and scale of the industry, and its outcomes.
- be on the phone, trading emails, and presenting in webinars to help those inside, and those peering into, the U.S. microenterprise field understand what program performance looks like and where there is room for improvement.
And, hopefully, you'll grow into new things we haven't even thought of yet.
Job Requirements
You:
- Love details—but don’t get lost in them
- Are quick to grasp new concepts and adept at communicating in a way that makes the audience feel at ease and not patronized. You can do this whether you’re talking about data definitions or your view on the future of U.S. microenterprise.
- Can demonstrate your strong analytic skills and present data findings in ways that help readers connect with the data and understand why the findings are important.
- Write well—whether in detailed research reports, short web-copy or marketing pieces.
- Understand and can conduct statistical analysis with ease in SPSS
- Can manage your time and priorities like a pro, but you are humble enough to know you need help, or have unanswered questions
Knowledge, Education and Experience
A minimum of three years work experience and a Bachelor’s degree are required.
You’ll be the sole FIELD staff member based in the Aspen Institute’s D.C. Headquarters. You’ll have an office with a door that you will close when hallway conversations about current work from the other seven DC-based Economic Opportunities Program staff members gets to be too much. Alas—the communal food spot is right outside your door.
Working at the Aspen Institute, you’ll get to attend book talks by all manner of famous and influential authors, ride in an elevator with the Dalai Lama or Madeline Albright if you’re lucky, and enjoy your lunch in Dupont Circle on nice days.
To Apply
Sound like a fit? We need to hear from you. There isn’t a deadline, but we’ll hire as soon as we find the right person. Please submit a cover letter and resume via the Aspen Institute’s Career Opportunities page.
The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages diversity in all facets of the organization’s work.