Senior Impact Officer
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.
Ascend at the Aspen Institute is the national hub for breakthrough ideas and collaborations to build family economic prosperity and well-being. Ascend embraces a two-generation approach – focusing on children and the adults in their lives together – and is committed to centering gender and racial equity in our work. We believe that early childhood learning and care postsecondary education/employment pathways for parents, economic assets, social capital, and health and well-being are the core elements that enable families to achieve their full potential. As a leading model of social innovation, Ascend has been on the forefront of advancing policies, systems, practice, and community solutions. We have built an ecosystem of diverse leaders and multi-sector organizations through a national fellowship program, an action and learning network, and the Family Prosperity Innovation Community. Ascend engages the perspectives, strengths, and resilience of families with low incomes to inform program design and policy development.
The Ascend Fellowship is our signature leadership program focused on leaders with bold ideas who are positioned to take a quantum leap and move the needle on economic and social mobility pathways for children and their families. Fellows bring entrepreneurial drive, intellectual depth and curiosity, commitment to justice, and a mindset of generosity and equity. All Fellows commit to an action plan that will create field or national level change and/or innovation. Selection is highly competitive, and expectations for change are high.
BASIC FUNCTION:
The Senior Impact Officer is a new position that reports to the Associate Director for Leadership and Design and works closely with VP/Executive Director and Managing Director in strategy and program development with a priority focus on the Ascend Fellowship program and the impact of the Ascend Fellows. S/he will support curriculum development and be responsible for identifying new opportunities and models to accelerate Fellows' work. The Senior Impact Officer will actively contribute to continuous improvement, strategic expansion, and impact assessment of our leadership model, design, impact, and action amplification strategy. S/he is responsible for supporting, tracking, accelerating, and assessing the individual action plans and collaborative projects undertaken by Ascend Fellows, both in the context of their Fellowship and as alumni, in support of better outcomes for children and families.
Working with the Managing Director, the Senior Impact Officer will also explore ways to further deepen Ascend impact in the field and leverage the work of the Fellows for policy and systems level change. S/he will also contribute to planning for Ascend's 10-year field impact, thought leadership, and influence strategy. S/he will bring strong writing and analytical skills and must possess significant experience in program development, design, implementation, evaluation, and systems thinking. The Senior Impact Officer will also be an active contributor to Ascend's strategic communications, including the development of relevant communications projects. S/he must demonstrate expertise in Ascend's focus areas of family prosperity and economic and social mobility solutions for children, parents, and families. Candidates must have experience and intellectual depth in at least one or more of the core components of the two-generation approach: e.g. early childhood learning and care, postsecondary education/employment pathways, economic supports/assets, social capital, and health.
The Senior Impact Officer will be part of a high-performing team of sixteen and a core member of the Fellowship team. The Senior Impact Officer must bring experience and passion for embedding equity and inclusion into outcomes and strategy and be committed to social justice. S/he must also bring superior skills in strategic thinking, planning, and teamwork. Ascend operates with a core set of values – agility, boldness, creativity, determination, and excellence. The Senior Impact Officer should possess both commitment and experience that are reflective of Ascend's core values.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Essential duties and responsibilities are as follows. Other responsibilities may be added as necessary.
Program Strategy, Impact, and Management
Impact acceleration and innovation:
* Participate in Fellowship program planning, including but not limited to recruitment, Forum design, curriculum design, Fellowship experience, alumni engagement, and influence;
* Strengthen and accelerate Ascend Fellows vision/action plans and collaborations. This may be virtual or in-person technical assistance and may include, but is not limited to strategic guidance, research, document review, connection to expertise and other resources via Ascend's network and other key stakeholder relationships, recommendations on opportunities for innovation and/or scale, convening of stakeholders, etc.
* Serve as a coach and strategic source of support to Fellows individually and in small groups;
* Design and implement action plan accountability and tracking system;
* Design curriculum and capture Fellow/field learning around equity and inclusion capacity and outcomes;
* Maintain and strengthen a careful evaluation and learning framework to continue to assess and improve Fellows' action plans and impact;
* Design and package tools, briefs, and materials amplifying Fellows' work and impact to share knowledge with the field, contribute to systems change, and elevate Ascend's thought leadership and field contributions;
* Work with associate director, program associate, and VP/ED to identify and build partnerships with potential faculty, content experts, and others to expand the knowledge base, partnerships, intellectual leadership, and effectiveness of the Fellowship;
* Contribute to identification of potential Fellows and a careful selection process to build a diverse cohort with the potential to make real change for families' economic security;
* Work closely with program staff and Ascend leadership on carefully planned and managed Fellowship forums and other strategic convenings in support of Ascend's program and policy goals;
* Serve on design team for first Leadership Impact Forum, which will convene current and alumni Fellows and funders around future for children and families at the Aspen Institute campus in Aspen, Colorado in October 2020.
Ascend Network and Overall Policy and Program Work:
* Substantively contribute to the technical assistance program and learning network;
* Develop strategic relationships that produce results with key national and state policy, program, and research partners;
* Work closely with all members of the Ascend team on integration of the Ascend Fellowship into other key strategic areas of work, including the Ascend Network, policy agenda, strategic communications, and women's economic security portfolio;
* Develop and edit agendas, background readings, presentation materials (including online materials), and conference materials, including drafts developed by consultants, partners, and other team members;
* Lead implementation of innovation and/or research topics and publications in relevant areas;
* Generate new programs and ideas that create exponential impact opportunities make 1 + 1=5;
* Stay current on critical issues and opportunities and provide background research and message points to the VP/ED and Managing Director;
* Work closely with dedicated staff on special initiatives as requested.
Management and Fundraising
* Develop strategic philanthropic education and engagement strategies around Fellowship/leadership point of view model and potential new funding partners;
* Develop funder reports and proposals as needed;
* Ensure timely and thorough reviews of RFPs, contracts, and grants;
* Supervision of staff and budget authority is expected.
Shared Responsibilities:
* Actively participate in program design and strategic planning for Ascend and 10-year Ascend milestone and celebration;
* Contribute to team-wide learning and knowledge management, including drawing on and contributing to other Aspen Institute programs and resources;
* Identify opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of the program;
* Contribute to the Ascend's long-term sustainability through the development of compelling funder reports, proposals, and engagement strategies; and by identifying potential new funders and partners.
KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE:
* Minimum of 7-10 years of increasing responsibility and innovation in program strategy, development design, and impact assessment;
* Demonstrated program planning and high-quality execution skills with experience working at scale and taking ideas to the next stage of impact and influence;
* Proven experience in systems thinking, innovation, implementation science, rapid cycle prototyping and methodologies, and/or other best practice models;
* Entrepreneurial acumen and drive, ability to see and respond to opportunities to strengthen and/or course correct program plan to increase impact and drive for policy and systems change;
* High emotional intelligence, understanding, humility, and ability to develop deep relationships and respect with diverse leaders, organizations that cross sectors, geographies, class, power, and race and ethnicity;
* Strong writing and editing skills, track record of effective communication that engages audiences from public, private, and nonprofit sectors;
* Proven ability to manage and motivate teams as well as ensure deliverables and key priorities are consistently carried out in high quality, reliable manner;
* Thrives in big picture strategy and can hold details needed for excellent execution and Fellow and partner experience;
* Conscientious colleague who can be counted on to follow-through, close the loop, and deliver high-quality work at speed;
* Experience with fundraising and program development and design; access to strategic leadership and philanthropic networks;
* Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion;
* Excellent computer skills, particularly Microsoft Office Suite;
* Strong administrative skills; the ability to plan, organize, and follow through with staff and a variety of constituencies;
* Ability to authentically and effectively work with diverse audiences and partners;
* Thrives in high performing, intellectually-rich environment and as part of a team;
* Strong interpersonal skills, including a desire to learn; and
* Willingness and ability to travel.
Visit our career page at Work at the Aspen Institute | The Aspen Institute - http://www.aspeninstitute.org/about/jobs and follow the instructions for uploading your cover letter, sample of your work or writing, and resume. All interested applicants must submit all three: cover letter, work sample, and resume. The cover letter should highlight applicant's qualifications and share why this exceptional opportunity is a strong fit. The work/writing sample is an opportunity to for candidates to show us their work. The sample can be a relevant article, case study, interview, video, or surprise us.
Applications without resume, cover letter, and sample of work will not be considered.
Ascend at the Aspen Institute is committed to having a workforce that reflects diversity at all levels of the program team. We recognize the importance of not viewing individuals based on a single identity, and we thrive on being equitable in our recruitment process as well as in our efforts to be inclusive of all employees. We encourage all applicants regardless of gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or other social identity.
The Aspen Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all District and federal laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or protected veteran or disabled status and will not be discriminated against.
Candidate must have the ability to work under pressure and handle stress. Candidate must also have the ability to meet the regular attendance policy of the Aspen Institute.
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