KAP 2025-2026 - Press and Publications Assistant - Cato Institute

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals with a drive to tackle our country’s most pressing challenges in more effective, principled ways. KAP equips associates with the tools, mindsets, and community to succeed as social entrepreneurs—individuals excited to find new and better ways to break barriers and eliminate injustice. Associates spend one day each week engaging in experiential learning with Stand Together Fellowships and work at one of our many partner organizations the rest of the week. Our curriculum is designed to supercharge your development and equip you for long-term success as you seek to have an impact on the problems that prevent people from realizing their potential.  
Description The Cato Institute seeks an organized, motivated, and detail-oriented press and publications assistant to join the Cato Press and Publications team. The assistant will be responsible for providing editorial, production, and marketing support to the executive director and the books editor. This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC. The projected salary range for this role is $50,000 - $58,000 per year.Compensation is based on the successful candidate's educational background, experience, and skills. About Cato The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization – a think tank – dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues. Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution – individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.  The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative support to the department staff, including processing contracts, communicating with vendors, and coordinating with distributors.
• Keep the Press calendar updated and assist with building production timelines.
• Assist with editorial tasks, including preparing manuscripts for production.
• Provide quality control support on each title (checking page proofs, reviewing ebook files, proofreading flap copy, etc.)
• Coordinate with other Cato teams (including Marketing, Communications, Art, External Affairs, and Development) to keep them updated on forthcoming titles.
• Facilitate the distribution of title information and galleys to reviewers.
• Assist with pre-publication tasks, including filing Library of Congress applications, updating metadata, creating mailing lists, and reviewing press releases.
• Communicate with authors, editors, designers, printers, and freelancers as needed.
• Assist with sales reporting and creating royalty reports.
• Assist with processing permissions requests and other agreements.

Requirements:

• College degree in a related field.
• 1–2 years of related experience.
• Knowledge of and commitment to libertarianism or classical liberalism consistent with the vision of the Cato Institute.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat.
• Familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style.

Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Highly organized self-starter with keen attention to detail, quality, and accuracy.
• Ability to anticipate needs from various teams at Cato.
• Quick learner with the ability to multitask under deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an enthusiastic and positive attitude.
• Customer service oriented.
• Able to lift and move book cartons and other heavy objects (25 – 40 lbs).
• Able to travel occasionally.

About Stand Together Fellowships Learn more about Stand Together Fellowships.  Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, re