Curriculum Manager

The Aspen Institute; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid leave

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The Aspen Institute is seeking a Curriculum Manager to design high impact instructional content and executive learning experiences for college leaders and senior teams. Based in Washington, DC, the role blends strategy, research, and pedagogy to translate data into practical tools for institutional reform.

The position emphasizes collaboration with senior fellows and project teams, requiring strong project leadership, enterprise tool usage (e.g., Asana), and a passion for improving student

Qualifications

• Five years minimum experience in instructional design or adult professional learning.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred in higher education, public policy, or related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication to translate research and data into tools.
• Experience designing learning experiences for college presidents and senior teams.
• Experience with enterprise project management tools (e.g., Asana).

Responsibilities

• Design field facing instructional content, curricular maps, workshop agendas, and case studies.
• Create engaging sessions in person, hybrid, and asynchronous formats for executive audiences.
• Develop facilitation guides and briefing materials for internal and external instructors.
• Adapt core assets for external engagements and regional partnerships.
• Coordinate quality reviews and production schedules; manage evaluation data.
• Collaborate with teams to incorporate research and field-tested case studies into curricula.

Skills

Instructional design

Curriculum development

Adult learning theory

Executive engagement

Project management

Stakeholder collaboration

Data storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Asana

Job description

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world Founded in 1949 the Institute drives change through dialogue leadership and action to help solve societys greatest challenges It is headquartered in Washington DC and has a campus in Aspen CO as well as an international network of partners For more information visit wwwaspeninstituteorg COLLEGE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to strengthen higher education leadership and practice to improve student outcomeswith the ultimate goal of advancing economic mobility and developing talent for the good of each individual and society as a whole We support this mission through multiple programs including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence the American Talent Initiative the Aspen Presidents and Rising Presidents Fellowships Unlocking Opportunity and a range of transfer initiatives designed to improve bachelors attainment for students who start in community college Each year Aspen works closely with hundreds of presidents board members senior leaders and cross functional teams at community colleges and universities that educate millions of students nationwide For more information visit higheredaspeninstituteorg or find us on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

For 16 years the Aspen College Excellence Program Aspen has worked to ensure that colleges improve student outcomes including by strengthening what happens after graduation securing a job with family sustaining wages either directly after community college or after transferring and earning a bachelors degree With a staff of nearly 40 Aspen has built its impact and credibility through four means identifying and elevating community colleges that achieve excellent student outcomes; researching and publishing tools and research reflecting the practices that drive those outcomes; developing presidents and other leaders capable of leading successful student outcome reforms; and working with college teams to advance transformational reforms Through this work Aspen engages hundreds of college leaders and practitioners each year at institutions that educate millions of students nationwide The Curriculum Manager plays an important role in advancing this mission by helping to develop high impact instructional materials and executive learning experiences based on cutting edge research on postsecondary reform Working at the intersection of strategy research and pedagogy the Curriculum Manager will support the end to end curriculum process translating data and institutional reform concepts into field facing content case studies and actionable tools that college leaders can use to assess institutional effectiveness and craft reform strategies This position is not about building curriculum modules in isolation; it requires a strategic thinker who is passionate about cohort design This individual will collaborate closely with Aspens senior team senior fellows project delivery staff and field experts to shape dynamic rigorous learning experiences that prepare college presidents rising leaders and senior teams to advance institutional reform at scale The Curriculum Manager must be a strong instructional designer with knowledge of adult learning theory executive engagement and disciplined project management Beyond initial content creation the Curriculum Manager will coordinate quality reviews direct production schedules support project teams in delivery and use session evaluation data to continuously refine Aspens learning assets Successful candidates will bring relevant field expertise in postsecondary leadership transfer workforce development andor instructional practice For a professional with a talent for making data compelling a commitment to collaborative design and the drive to meet tight deadlines this role offers an extraordinary platform to advance student success and economic mobility nationwide This position is based in Aspens Washington DC office minimum two days per week on site and may require approximately two to four weeks of travel per year The Curriculum Manager reports to Aspens Director of Leadership and Field Engagement The salary range for this role is 90000 to 110000.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Curriculum Design and Content Creation Develop clear field facing instructional content curricular maps workshop agendas case studies participant tools and slide decks based on research on higher education leadership transfer and post graduation value

Design and refine engaging in person hybrid and asynchronous learning sessions grounded in adult learning theory and tailored for executive audiences including college presidentsrising presidents trustees and senior teams

Develop comprehensive facilitation guides and briefing materials to prepare internal and external facilitators to lead interactive data informed and outcome oriented sessions

Adapt and customize core curricular assets for external fee for service engagements state system partnerships and regional initiatives

Support the creation and dissemination of public facing practical guides self assessment toolkits and open access resources that advance effective practices across higher educationEnsure all written curricular products adhere to organizational style guidelines and brand voice converting complex data and concepts into clear field facing tools that drive institutional action

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement Analyze session level participant evaluation data session recordings and facilitator feedback to drive iterative improvements across all learning materials Integrate strategic feedback from college leaders and external partners to keep curricula continuously aligned with real world institutional reform prioritiesCollaborate with internal project teams senior fellows and subject matter experts to incorporate emerging research and field tested case studies into program curricula

Project Management and Collaboration Serve as an internal thought partner across project teams advising on session design pedagogical alignment and group facilitation strategies for in person and virtual convenings Partner with project teams to align session design and logistics ensuring every convening delivers a seamless high impact learning experience for participantsDevelop and maintain comprehensive project schedules for concurrent curriculum deliverables defining key milestones staff assignments and dependencies while deconflicting timelines across organizational commitments Manage project execution to ensure all curricular assets meet organizational standards for accuracy quality and clarityEstablish structured quality review processes incorporating feedback from multiple organizational layers to maintain standards of excellence across deliverables

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO THRIVE

At least five years of experience in instructional design curriculum development or adult professional learning ideally within a higher education or community college context

Mission Alignment A deep commitment to postsecondary student success and a firm belief that institutional outcomes can be improved at scale when leaders enact proven practices

Expertise Demonstrated skill in designing engaging learning experiences for college presidents rising leaders and senior teams complemented by familiarity with higher education leadership transfer or workforce development

Communications Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with a proven ability to translate research and data into clear concise field facing tools

Project Management Strong project leadership skillsincluding the ability to manage concurrent timelines meet strict deadlines and maintain high standards of qualityand preferably experience with enterprise project management tools eg Asana

Collaboration The capacity to shift between independent execution small team collaboration and large scale coordination with external vendors contractors and third party partnersAdaptability and Resilience Comfort integrating feedback from multiple organizational layers and adjusting to shifting priorities to meet changing demands

Education A bachelors degree with a preference for an advanced degree in higher education public policy organizational leadership or a related field

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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 The Aspen Institute welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs including the interview process If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility please email hrsupportaspeninstitute.org or call 202 736 2127 in advance of your visit Requests for ASL or CART services should be made at least two weeks in advance when possible We will make every effort to fulfill requests subject to availability.