Associate Director, Special Projects

Milken Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

Milken Institute in Washington, DC, seeks an Associate Director, Special Projects to support the Office of the CEO with executive briefing materials, research, and cross-functional program management. This full-time role requires discretion, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive projects from concept to completion.

The Associate Director will synthesize research into actionable insights, prepare executive-ready materials, and coordinate with internal teams and external partners on

Qualifications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and ability to synthesize complex information into executive-ready materials.
• Experience supporting senior leadership, executive offices, strategic initiatives, or special projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation of executive briefing documents, talking points, background research, and meeting materials for the CEO’s engagements.
• Manage cross-functional special projects from scope through delivery.
• Conduct research on topics to support decision-making and strategic planning.
• Draft, edit, and refine written materials with high accuracy and professionalism.
• Coordinate inputs from internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure successful execution of priorities.

Skills

Executive communication

Project management

Research & analysis

Discretion & professionalism

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Associate Director, Special Projects

Full-time Regular Washington, DC, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1581

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions.

About the Position

The Associate Director, Special Projects provides strategic, high-level support to the Office of the CEO, with a primary focus on developing executive briefing materials, leading research and analysis, managing complex cross-functional projects, and ensuring effective follow-through on priorities connected to meetings, speaking engagements, events, travel, and external communications. This role is ideal for a highly organized, proactive professional who can operate with discretion, exercise sound judgment, synthesize information quickly, and independently drive projects from concept through completion.

The Associate Director serves as a trusted partner to executive leadership by anticipating needs, aligning stakeholders, translating research into actionable insights, and helping ensure the CEO and Executive Office are prepared for high-impact engagements and decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation of executive briefing documents, talking points, background research, meeting materials, and event summaries for the CEO’s speaking engagements, meetings, travel, and external activities.
• Manage special projects on behalf of the Office of the CEO, including defining project scope, coordinating stakeholders, tracking deliverables, identifying risks, and ensuring timely completion.
• Conduct and synthesize research on a wide range of topics to support executive decision-making, strategic planning, external communications, and organizational priorities.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative research on topics that may include finance, health economics, demographics, global markets, human capital, policy, and job formation.
• Collect, clean, analyze, and summarize relevant economic, financial, demographic, policy, and programmatic data to inform briefings, presentations, and decision materials.
• Draft, edit, and refine written materials, presentations, summaries, correspondence, and other executive-facing work products with a high degree of accuracy, clarity, and professionalism.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders to gather information, align inputs, and support successful execution of executive priorities and special initiatives.
• Maintain systems for tracking project timelines, deliverables, decisions, and follow-ups, and proactively communicate status updates to appropriate stakeholders.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a relevant field preferred.
• 5–8 years of relevant experience supporting senior leadership, executive offices, strategic initiatives, research, project management, policy, communications, or special projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, coordinate multiple stakeholders, and drive work forward with limited oversight.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise, executive-ready materials.
• Strong research, quantitative, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with accuracy and attention to detail.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, judgment, and comfort handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong initiative, ownership, and follow-through, with the ability to anticipate needs and propose solutions proactively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experience with research, data, or project management tools preferred.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Collaborative, flexible, entrepreneurial, and action-oriented approach, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and operate with good judgment.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered