Associate Director, Sphere Education Initiatives

Cato Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Generous vacation and sick leave

Paid parental leave

Life and disability insurance

401(k) with employer match

Transit/Parking benefits

Pet discount plan

Job summary

The Cato Institute seeks an Associate Director to lead Sphere Education Initiatives, focusing on growth, scale, and impact across the United States. The role works with the Senior Director and travels extensively to build a national educator network while shaping policy-relevant, nonpartisan educational programming.

Based in Washington, DC, this hybrid position requires substantial travel and leadership of multiple programs, including Sphere Summit and Sphere on the Road, to reach 50,000

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in program development, management, evaluation, and scaling with a demonstrated track record of increasing responsibility and outcomes.
• 2+ years of teaching experience in a K12 or similar setting.
• Knowledge of adult learning theory and its application in education.
• Commitment to libertarian/classical liberal principles aligned with Sphere and Cato Institute.
• Outstanding public speaking and interpersonal skills.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial team player.
• Track record of success in a hybrid work environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as program director for Sphere Summit, overseeing recruitment, advertising, program design, speaker invitation, and evaluation.
• Collaborate across the Sphere team and with capabilities throughout the Cato Institute to plan and execute Sphere Summit.
• Develop strategies to engage educator alumni and mentor the Sphere Alumni Fellowship.
• Lead the Sphere on the Road team, shaping strategy, workshop development, and professional learning sessions.
• Support Sphere on the Road through conferences across the country, including events and teacher recruitment.
• Supervise a team of 3–4 direct reports.

Skills

Public speaking

Program development

Leadership

Collaboration

Strategic planning

Job description

Description

The Cato Institute seeks an experienced leader in the field of education to join the Sphere Education Initiatives team as an Associate Director. Working directly with the Senior Director, Educational and Talent Programs, the Associate Director plays a vital role in the growth, scale, and impact of Sphere Education Initiatives.

Job Type

Full-time

The projected salary range for this role is $90,000 to $120,000 per year, commensurate with experience and demonstrated skill.

The successful applicant should bring a wide network in the field of education, demonstrated experience in scaling successful efforts to new audiences, and an eye for transformation and innovation. Further, the Associate Director will bring a demonstrated track record of leading large scale educational programs, meaningful experience in and deep familiarity with K12 education in the United States, and expertise in facilitation, moderation, and adult learning.

With a goal of reaching over 50,000 educators by the end of 2029, the primary responsibility of this role is to build Sphere’s network across the United States. In doing so, the Associate Director will be responsible for the vision and strategy necessary to scale not only the volume of educators in the network, but the impact of our educational programming. In doing so, the Associate Director will be responsible for the ongoing growth and success of Sphere Summit, our Sphere on the Road efforts, and the development of new and dynamic ways of reaching educators across the country.

This is a hybrid role based out of the Cato Institute’s Washington, DC office and requires the ability to travel >40% of the time.

About Sphere

Sphere Education Initiatives works with middle and high school educators to foster civil discourse and civic culture in their classrooms. With an alumni network of over 25,000 educators, Sphere produces free, nonpartisan, and viewpoint diverse professional learning and development opportunities and classroom resources rooted in the principles of liberty to promote civil discourse and foster the skills of civility necessary to restore a vibrant civil society. In fostering these skills early on, educators support the habituation of healthy habits of discussion and curiosity among students.

About The Cato Institute

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

• Serve as the program director for Sphere Summit, overseeing recruitment, advertising, program design, speaker invitation, and evaluation.


• Collaborate across the Sphere team and with capabilities throughout the Cato Institute to successfully plan and execute Sphere Summit.


• Work with the alumni manager to successfully develop robust strategies to engage educator alumni. Serve as a mentor for the Sphere Alumni Fellowship.


• Lead and manage the Sphere on the Road team, overseeing the development of strategy, workshop development, professional learning sessions, and delivering programming as an integral part of the Sphere on the Road team.


• Support Sphere on the Road through conference events across the country, including tabling, session delivery, and teacher recruitment.


• Supervisory responsibility for a team of 3-4 direct reports.

Requirements

• 7-10 years of experience in program development, management, evaluation, and scaling with a demonstrated track record of increasing responsibility and outcomes. Conference production experience a plus.


• 2+ years of teaching experience in a K12 or similar setting.


• Knowledge of and successful application of adult learning theory in an educational environment.


• Knowledge of and commitment to libertarianism or classical liberalism consistent with the vision of the Cato Institute as well as to the vision and mission of Sphere Education Initiatives.


• Outstanding public speaking and interpersonal skills.


• Collaborative and highly entrepreneurial team player.


• Track record of success in managing in a hybrid work environment preferred.

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.