Senior Program Associate

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.

ASPEN WORDS

Aspen Words was founded in 1976 as a literary center based in Aspen, CO. A program of the Aspen Institute, its mission is to encourage writers, inspire readers, and connect people through the power of stories. AW’s year-round programs include the Aspen Literary Festival; the Summer Words writers conference; the Winter Words author speaker series, a writers-in-the-school program and and the Aspen Words Literary Prize, a $35,000 annual award for fiction with social impact. For more information, visit http://www.aspenwords.org/.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Senior Program Associate is an integral member of the Aspen Words team whose areas of responsibility include overseeing the student experience and communications for the Summer Words writers conference; managing the writers-in-the-schools program; handling talent communications and hospitality for the Aspen Literary Festival, Winter Words and other programs as required; and assisting with donor relations and development. Additionally, the Senior Associate will help with the Community Read program, manage the Editing Room and attend Aspen Writers Network meetings and other events as needed. The Senior Associate should be able to balance a wide array of responsibilities across programs while contributing to the smooth execution of events and development processes for AW.

The Senior Program Associate reports directly to the Senior Program Manager. The salary range for this position is $60,000 - $75,000. Most of the Aspen Words team works from our Aspen, CO, office; however, this position is open to both Roaring Fork Valley-based and remote candidates. If the Associate is remote, they would be required to travel to Aspen several times a year to work events such as the Aspen Literary Festival and Summer Words.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Programmatic Responsibilities

• Manage student experience and communications for the Summer Words writers conference, including workshop acceptances and rejections, workshop logistical details, coordination of professional consultations and development of student activities and schedule.
• Oversee nomination process for Emerging Writer Fellows and manage communication and conference experience for accepted fellows.
• Recruit and manage consultant readers for Emerging Writer Fellowships and juried workshop applications.
• Manage communications and hospitality for visiting authors for the Aspen Literary Festival, Winter Words, Aspen Writers Network, the Community Read and other programs, as needed.
• Help with all aspects of the Community Read program, including book distribution and engagement with a wide variety of constituents in the Roaring Fork Valley.
• Manage relationships and workflow with consultant editors and clients for the Editing Room. Handle client payments.
• Hire and coordinate teaching artists and guest authors for writers-in-the-schools programs, including vetting talent,