Associate Director, Millennium Leadership Program

Job DetailsJob Location: Atlantic Council Headquarters - Washington, DC 20005Position Type: Full-TimeSalary Range: $72,000.00 - $80,000.00 Salary/yearThe Atlantic Council’s Millennium Leadership Program (MLP) seeks a high-performing Associate Director to own and drive the day-to-day strategy, design, and execution of MLP’s flagship initiatives, namely the Millennium Fellowship and Alumni Engagement Activities.

This is not an entry-level role—the Associate Director will serve as a program owner, strategic partner, and operational lead, shaping the participant experience, strengthening alumni engagement, and ensuring high-quality execution across multiple workstreams. The ideal candidate brings strong judgment, exceptional communication, warmth, and initiative—anticipating needs, solving problems early, and managing relationships across a global stakeholder network.

This role requires a strategic executor who delivers consistently with a strong customer-service mindset and high professional standards. The Associate Director will report to the Deputy Director and collaborate closely with the Senior Director and the broader MLP team in a fast-paced, highly interactive environment.

This position is based in our Washington, DC, headquarters, requiring a minimum of 4 days per week in office. The Atlantic Council offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, education, and organizational equity, with offers from $72,000 to $80,000. Applications submitted by March 5, 2026, will be prioritized for consideration.

Job Responsibilities

1) Lead and Manage the Millennium Fellowship (Flagship Program Ownership)

Own full-cycle planning and execution for the Millennium Fellowship, ensuring an exceptional and consistent participant experience from recruitment through completion
Drive program design and improvement, including curriculum refinement, session planning, speaker coordination, and participant engagement strategy
Manage admissions and selection processes, including application review workflows, communication cadence, and enrollment/payment tracking
Lead program communications across channels (primarily email and WhatsApp) ensuring clear, timely, and high-touch participant support
Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to deliver smooth, high-quality program experience
Facilitate virtual sessions and support logistical planning and execution for the annual international study tour, including international travel and on-site support

2) Alumni Strategy, Programming, and Community Engagement

Lead alumni engagement strategy and execution, including communications, programming, relationship management, and community-building initiatives
Plan and support virtual monthly alumni meetings and in-person alumni engagement activities in Washington, DC
Strengthen alumni pathways for continued involvement and engagement with the Atlantic Council and MLP ecosystem
Support the development of scalable alumni systems, tools, and processes that deepen engagement globally

3) Support the Global Leadership Forum (Annual Convening)

Support planning and execution of the inaugural Global Leadership Forum, an annual convening for alumni and partners
Assist with stakeholder coordination, logistics, communications, content curation, and event execution across internal and external partners
Ensure a high-quality, detail-oriented experience for participants, speakers, and partners

4) Program Operations, Logistics, and Cross-Team Coordination

Manage end-to-end program operations, including scheduling, run-of-show development, participant tracking, meeting coordination, and materials production
Support budgets and financial workflows, including revenue tracking, payments, contracts, vendor coordination, and accurate record-keeping
Maintain program data systems and reporting to inform planning, decision-making, and continuous improvement
Strengthen internal systems and processes to improve efficiency and support program scaling

5) Communications, Marketing, and Visibility

Develop social media strategy and protocol, including content development for MLP communications and social platforms (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and WhatsApp)
Support marketing and outreach efforts to strengthen recruitment, engagement, and program visibility internally and externally
Ensure communications reflect MLP’s tone: warm, professional, timely, and high-quality

6) Business Development and Partner Support

Assist with contracts, invoicing, CRM tracking (Salesforce), and partner stewardship materials
Support fundraising and business development efforts through donor research, partner coordination, and proposal or briefing support

Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required (education, entrepreneurship, international relations, public policy, or related field preferred); master’s degree a plus
4–7 years of relevant experience in international program management, ideally in fellowship, lea