Online Courses & Scholarships Program Manager

On Think Tanks - Independent Research, Ideas and Advice

Washington (District of Columbia)

Hybrid

USD 60,000 - 85,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Generous vacation and sick leave

Paid parental leave

Employer‑provided life and disability

401(k) with employer match

Job summary

The Cato Institute seeks a Cato Courses Program Manager to lead the growth, production, and outreach of Cato Courses, the Institute’s free, self-paced learning platform that introduces students and lifelong learners to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.

The Program Manager will be the day-to-day owner of the Cato Courses experience and report to the Program Director.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
2 to 4 years of professional experience in program management, educational programs, scholarship administration, or content production.
Experience designing and running an application-based program (scholarship, fellowship, grant, or admissions) is a strong plus.
Familiarity with online learning platforms, learning management systems, or course-authoring tools. Squarespace experience is a plus.
Basic comfort using AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, and similar) in daily work.
Comfort with CRM and analytics tools (Salesforce and Google Analytics preferred).
Demonstrated interest in libertarian or classical liberal ideas consistent with the Cato Institute’s mission.

Responsibilities

Scholarship Program Leadership. Launch and lead the Cato Courses Scholarship Program from the ground up, including eligibility criteria, application design, selection process, recipient communications, and ongoing reporting on program outcomes.
Course Production Support. Assist scholars, instructional designers, and outside contributors in producing new courses, contributing to scripting, review cycles, asset gathering, AI-conversation design, quiz development, and final quality control before publication.
Course Audits and Continuous Improvement. Audit existing courses on a regular cadence for factual accuracy, pedagogical clarity, accessibility, and alignment with Cato’s editorial standards. Recommend revisions and coordinate their implementation.
Alumni and Outreach Relationships. Build and steward ongoing relationships with course alumni and with allied educational organizations, student groups, and affiliated programs. Develop alumni touchpoints, referral channels, and joint promotional opportunities that grow the platform’s reach.
Cross‑Team Collaboration. Work closely with Educational Programs, Sphere Education – Initiatives, marketing, web, design, and scholarly staff to keep course launches, scholarship cycles, and promotional efforts on schedule and on message.