Director, Aspen Leadership Seminars

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 LEADERSHIP SEMINARS (SEMINARS)

Aspen Leadership Seminars (Seminars) sits at the heart of The Aspen Institute’s founding mission: to foster values-based leadership that inspires individuals to think more deeply, act more courageously, and serve more selflessly. Since 1950, the Seminars have brought together leaders from every sector and region of the world to explore the moral and ethical dimensions of leadership through moderated text-based dialogue. Guided by the belief that the greatest challenges facing society are moral, not technical, these seminars create space for leaders to reflect on the values that guide their choices and shape their organizations.

In support of its mission to develop values-driven leaders, the department offers both tuition-based and fee-for-service seminars to individuals and organizations. Seminars annually delivers 35+ seminars, including the flagship Aspen Executive Seminar on Leadership, Values, and the Good Society, as well as a growing portfolio of Custom Leadership Seminars designed in partnership with client organizations in the corporate, government, and not-for-profit sectors. The portfolio has experienced significant growth in recent years and is poised to expand in both scope and scale in the years ahead.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Director of Seminars will serve as the architect and steward of the Aspen Leadership Seminars’ overall operations and organizational health, building and maintaining the structures that allow the department to thrive. Reporting to the Executive Director, this senior-level role ensures that the department has the processes, systems, and operational discipline needed to operate with clarity, cohesion, and impact.

The Seminars portfolio of programs is both mission-driven and revenue-generating. Through tuition-based and fee-for-service programs for individuals and organizations, the department advances the Institute’s commitment to values-based leadership while operating with the discipline of a business inside a nonprofit framework. With recent growth in seminars, staff, and increasing complexity across the portfolio, this role is critical to ensuring the expansion is supported by strong, scalable operational foundations.

This role provides operational leadership and integrative support that enables the department to run smoothly and sustainably, in close partnership with the Executive Director’s focus on vision, strategy, and program quality. The Director works collaboratively with the heads of Business Development, Marketing & Communications, and Program Delivery, and interfaces regularly with colleagues across the Center for Leadership, Aspen Global Leadership Network, and the wider Institute. They provide partial management for the Senior Finance Manager and serve as a trusted thought partner to the Executive Director, bringing forward insights, surfacing risks and opportunities, and ensuring priorities are translated into coordinated execution across the department.

The Salary range for this position is $141,000-$151,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the 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.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Departmental Operations

• Oversee the overall operational health of the Seminars depar