Executive Director

Company: The Aspen Institute
Location: Washington
Posted on: June 1, 2025

Job Description:

Aspen Institute employees come from a wide range of backgrounds and possess a unique blend of education, skill, and policy experience. We recognize that our people are our vital resource and we value their knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment. At the Aspen Institute, we offer competitive salaries and a wide variety of benefits to our employees and their families.If you would enjoy working in a dynamic environment and are looking for an opportunity to become part of a stellar team of professionals, we invite you to apply online today.ABOUT USAspen InstituteThe 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.To achieve our mission of a more free, just, and equitable society, we commit to working proactively to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our myriad endeavors such as the recruitment, compensation, training, and advancement of staff. The best people-serving institutions make this commitment, and we seek to be a leader in the ways that we do so and learn from others.Aspen Network of Development EntrepreneursThe Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), a Policy Program within the Aspen Institute, provides a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets. ANDE members provide critical financial, educational, and business support services to small and growing businesses (SGBs) based on the conviction that SGBs will create jobs, stimulate long-term economic growth, and produce environmental and social benefits.Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) are defined by ANDE as commercially viable businesses with five to 250 employees that have significant potential and ambition for growth. Typically, SGBs seek growth capital from $20,000 to $2 million. SGBs differ from the more traditional characterization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in two fundamental ways. First, SGBs are different from livelihood-sustaining small businesses, which start small and are designed to stay that way. Second, unlike many medium-sized companies, SGBs often lack access to the financial and knowledge resources required for growth.Launched with 34 members in 2009, ANDE now comprises nearly 250 collaborative members that operate in nearly every developing economy. ANDE expands knowledge, mobilizes resources, and connects institutions that support the small business entrepreneurs who build inclusive prosperity in the developing world. Members of ANDE include both for-profit and nonprofit investment funds, capacity development providers, research and academic institutions, development finance institutions, foundations, and corporations from around the world.Based in Washington, D.C., ANDE has eight regional chapters in the following locations: the Andean region, Brazil, Central America and Mexico, East Africa, South Africa, West Africa, East and Southeast Asia, and South Asia. These chapters help expand sector knowledge, mobilize resources, and connect institutions to help SBEs build inclusive prosperity in the developing world.In 2024, ANDE refocused its strategy around two primary objectives; first, to equip its members with evidence-based best practices, partnerships, and tools to measure the impact of small and growing business entrepreneurs. The second objective is to build entrepreneurial ecosystems that produce more high-growth businesses that foster economic growth to alleviate poverty and related social and environmental challenges.ABOUT THIS ROLEThe ANDE Executive Director will ensure that ANDE continues to thrive as a membership organization and catalyst for a movement to propel small and growing businesses in emerging markets. This person will oversee a complex program supporting contracted international staff and U.S.-based employees, travel to serve as a spokesperson for ANDE and its mission, drive strong membership and impact, and develop strategies for growth for both ANDE and the SBG sector. The Executive Director of ANDE reports to the Executive Vice President of Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute and is advised by an Executive Committee.This position reports directly to the Vice President. The salary for this position is $175,000. In accordance with our Reimagining Work policy, the Program Coordinator 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

• Develop and execute programmatic strategies that align with ANDE's mission and organizational goals.
• Establish impact goals, refine annual work plans, and ensure strategic alignment.
• Lead large-scale projects, including research and leadership development, ensuring adherence to goals, timelines, and budgets.
• Assess, refine, and enhance programs to address evolving community needs and maximize impact.
• Design and oversee systems to measure program effectiveness, utilizing qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Ensure grant deliverables meet high-quality standards and are reported in a timely manner.
• Travel internationally to meet with the different chapter representatives, and to attend international conferences to present on matters important to the mission of ANDE; The Executive Director will need to be comfortable speaking to large audiences, working at times outside of normal work hours and serving as the external and internal face of ANDE.Fundraising and Financial Planning
  • Maintain financial accountability by monitoring budgets and resource allocation to maximize impact.
  • Develop sustained and robust funding through a mixture of membership revenue, grants, and government funding.
  • Build and maintain relationships with donors, foundations, corporate partners, and other key stakeholders.
  • Lead the program in securing and managing financial resources.Team Leadership and Development
    • Supervise and mentor staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performance, and growth-oriented culture.
    • Lead hiring, onboarding, and integration processes for new team members, ensuring alignment with ANDE's values.
    • Develop and oversee professional development plans, performance reviews, and team-building activities.
    • Plan and facilitate workshops, retreats, and training sessions to promote ongoing learning and alignment.External Relations and Communications
      • Organize meetings and networking events in ANDE's various markets and administer the communication strategy across the various chapters through newsletters, its website, and other means to highlight sector developments and new initiatives.
      • Identify and develop strategic partnerships, external relationships, and new opportunities.
      • Contribute to ANDE strategic communications plan and serve as external spokesperson.
      • Strengthen communications and brand of ANDE.WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE
        • Minimum 10 years of experience in senior level roles leading a complex organization.
        • A bachelor's degree is required; A master's degree in international development, business, and/or public policy is desired.
        • Demonstrated track record of fundraising through membership fees and other avenues and manages people with an entrepreneurial servant-leader mindset.
        • Deep experience in international development with solid existing networks in the small and growing business sector.
        • Demonstrated experience as an entrepreneur, impact investor, working for a business accelerator or technical advisory provider to entrepreneurs to address development challenges is helpful.
        • Ability to travel globally and domestically up to 30% of the time; current authorization to work in the US and speak/write in English with ease.
        • Other language skills (especially Spanish and French) are preferred.Candidates for this position should attest to the following experiences and skills in a cover letter and resume/CV:
          • Fiscal management of a membership organization requiring complex financial reporting; relationship maintenance and development with major funding organizations in the international development arena.
          • Partnerships and funding: as the Executive Director you must participate in relationship management and cultivation longstanding partnerships with funders of various types.
          • Strategic planning and implementation that aligns ANDE's work related to small and growing business and their impact on economic development, environmental impact. This includes the ability to evaluate existing and potential initiatives to drive ANDE'S success.
          • Executive Committee Management that includes communications with the office of the Executive Vice President for Policy Programs, participation in peer activities of Policy Program Directors, aligning work with the mission of the Aspen Institute, and serving as the primary contact point with ANDE's Executive Committee, a volunteer advisory board made up of ANDE member executives, to develop agendas for quarterly meetings.
          • Communication skills that include serving as ANDE's chief spokesperson at major international conferences advocating on behalf of the SGB sector to donor institutions, foundations, and corporations. Excellent writing skills are required.
          • Relationship management: Networking and building trust among stakeholders including a domestic and global team of 40+ highly motivated colleagues across 11 countries.
          • Membership Recruitment/Retention experience to support ANDE's existing network and its growth.
          • Foster a work environment that respects the global nature of ANDE and individual differences, while promoting learning and career opportunities for all.To Apply:Please send a cover letter (required) and a current CV/resume via the link provided. Resumes and cover letters sent to individuals at the Aspen Institute will not be considered. To provide an equitable process, the Institute will not respond to individual requests for more information about this position or hiring process.Additional InformationApplications are due at 11:59 p.m. ET on the 14th of March. Application review will begin on a rolling basis; it is advised that candidates submit applications as soon as possible.The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.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.If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation regarding the accessibility of our website, a modification or adjustment of the job application or interview process due to a disability, contact HRSupport@aspeninstitute.org or call (202) 736-5800.
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