Alumni Specialist, Cato Institute

Cato Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Employer contribution to a Health SAV

401(k) with employer match

Paid parental leave

Transit/Parking benefits

Pet discount plan

Job summary

The Cato Institute is seeking an Educational Programs Alumni Specialist to join its educational programs team in Washington, DC. This hybrid role supports alumni engagement across Cato’s initiatives and helps cultivate relationships with students, alumni, and program participants.

You will develop outreach campaigns, coordinate events, manage alumni records, and track engagement metrics to inform program strategy and sustain future talent pipelines for Cato.

Qualifications

• 2 to 5 years of professional experience in educational programs, alumni relations, or a related field.
• Experience coordinating events, managing programs, communications, or stakeholder engagement activities.
• Experience using CRM and analytics tools such as Salesforce.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and support alumni engagement initiatives for educational programs, including new outreach campaigns and programming opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal teams to support educational programming and alumni relations efforts.
• Plan and coordinate alumni events such as networking opportunities and virtual programming from preparation through follow-up.
• Maintain, update, and organize alumni records and databases to ensure accurate tracking of engagement and participation.
• Track alumni engagement metrics, report analytics, and manage data to support program evaluation and strategic goals.
• Develop and distribute alumni communications, invitations, and outreach materials.
• Build and strengthen relationships with alumni through ongoing outreach, personalized engagement, and support, encouraging participation in alumni opportunities while fostering a sustainable pipeline of future talent and long-term connections to Cato.
• Manage administrative, logistical, and operational support for educational programs and special projects as needed.

Skills

Alumni relations

Event coordination

CRM analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Job Type

Full-time

The Cato Institute is seeking an Educational Programs Alumni Specialist to join an educational programs team dedicated to investing in future generations through student engagement and alumni relations. The Educational Programs Alumni Specialist will support alumni engagement efforts across Cato’s educational initiatives and help strengthen lasting relationships with an expanding network of students, alumni, and program participants.

The Cato Institute is seeking an Educational Programs Alumni Specialist to join an educational programs team dedicated to investing in future generations through student engagement and alumni relations. The Educational Programs Alumni Specialist will support alumni engagement efforts across Cato’s educational initiatives and help strengthen lasting relationships with an expanding network of students, alumni, and program participants.

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC. The individual will be expected to work from Cato’s DC office at least two days per week.

The projected salary range for this role is $70,000 – $85,000 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

• Develop, implement, and support alumni engagement initiatives for educational programs, including new outreach campaigns and programming opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal teams to support educational programming and alumni relations efforts.
• Plan and coordinate alumni events such as networking opportunities and virtual programming from preparation through follow-up. This may include travel to and from programming.
• Maintain, update, and organize alumni records and databases to ensure accurate tracking of engagement and participation.
• Track alumni engagement metrics, report analytics, and manage data to support program evaluation and strategic goals.
• Develop and distribute alumni communications, invitations, and outreach materials.
• Build and strengthen relationships with alumni through ongoing outreach, personalized engagement, and support, encouraging participation in alumni opportunities while fostering a sustainable pipeline of future talent and long-term connections to Cato.
• Manage administrative, logistical, and operational support for educational programs and special projects as needed.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• 2 to 5 years of professional experience. Experience in educational programs, alumni relations, or a related field preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated interest in libertarian or classical liberal ideas consistent with the Cato Institute’s mission.
• Experience coordinating events, managing programs, communications, or stakeholder engagement activities.
• Experience participating in educational program(s) at the Cato Institute preferred but not required.
• Experience working with CRM and analytics tools such as Salesforce preferred but not required.

Skills

• Strong organizational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, events, and stakeholder communications simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams while managing competing priorities and meeting time-sensitive deadlines.
• Collaborative mindset and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with students, alumni, partners, and colleagues.
• Proficiency working with CRM platforms, databases, and analytics tools such as Salesforce to support portfolio management, data integrity efforts, outreach initiatives, and program evaluation.
• Initiative and creativity in developing innovative pathways for alumni engagement, relationship‑building, and long‑term talent development aligned with Cato’s mission and organizational goals.

Benefits

All Cato employees are offered the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• Paid parental leave
• Employer‑provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) with employer match
• Transit/Parking benefits
• Pet discount plan

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.