Project Lead — Philosophy Research & Development Lab

The Aspen Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Retirement benefits

Paid leave

Job summary

A leading nonprofit organization in Washington, DC is seeking a Project Lead to oversee its Philosophy R&D lab. This position involves managing a team, developing a publications agenda, and engaging with various stakeholders to ensure impactful philosophical discourse. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, at least 5 years of relevant experience, and a strong editorial and operational background. The salary range for this role is $85,000 - $97,000, complemented by a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in management or editorial roles.
• Experience managing grants, budgets, or funded projects.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage R&D lab and oversee research projects.
• Develop publications agenda in collaboration with the Director.
• Engage with various stakeholders across sectors.

Skills

Leadership skills

Editorial excellence

Operational capacity

Research experience

Budget management

Curiosity

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree in philosophy or related field

Tools

Multimedia editing

Job description

About Us

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 society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.

Philosophy and Society Initiative

The Philosophy & Society Initiative is dedicated to reigniting a national tradition of public philosophy. Through publications, events, and original research we seek to stimulate the appetite for reflection about our largest and most haunting issues of societal purpose—what is justice? what is a good life? what is society for?

About This Role

The Aspen Institute’s Philosophy & Society Program seeks a Project Lead to lead our Philosophy R&D lab and related activities. The R&D lab is the primary incubating mechanism for Philosophy & Society’s activities. The person in this role is responsible for assisting the Director in leading our core intellectual activities and ensuring their implementation, including managing a team of research fellows and other junior staff. This position is about curating ideas and sharpening them for public debate. The successful candidate will combine intellectual judgment, editorial excellence, strong operational capacity, and the flexibility to support the program’s evolving needs. The salary range for this role is $85,000 - $97,000. The Project Lead will report to the Director of the Philosophy & Society Program. Candidates must also have the ability to meet the regular attendance policy of the Aspen Institute and be based in Washington D.C.

What You Will Do

• R&D Lab Management: Take delegated responsibility for R&D Lab and all associated Philosophy & Society outputs, including research and editorial publications, by leading a team of research fellows and other junior staff to implement P&S priorities.
• Operational Stewardship: Track grant deliverables, monitoring progress toward milestones, prepare reporting materials, and work closely with the Director on outcome measurement. Manage budgets associated with publications and related projects, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with institutional requirements.
• Intellectual Agenda-Setting: In coordination with the Director, develop vision to shape the program’s publications agenda, identifying themes, authors, and outputs that advance the public role of philosophy.
• Cross‑Sector Collaboration: In partnership with the team, engage with philosophers, practitioners, policymakers, journalists, and civic leaders to produce work that resonates across audiences.
• Editorial Leadership: Serve as lead editor for the program’s portfolio of publications—including essays, policy papers, podcasts, books, and experimental formats. This entails not only ensuring clarity and precision but also making publishing decisions that foreground the most urgent and impactful questions. It involves primary accountability for the quality and detail of all outputs.
• Audience Development: Build pathways for our research and publications to reach beyond traditional readerships—developing strategies for placement, amplification, and media presence. This includes leading research fellows and junior staff to experiment with new channels and strengthen digital engagement to reach diverse audiences.
• Standards & Systems: Create and enforce research and publication guidelines, workflows, and publishing practices that balance quality, timeliness, and adaptability. Maintain the intellectual precision and stylistic consistency necessary for a public philosophy initiative.
• Strategic Growth: Contribute to fundraising, partnerships, and institutional positioning around publications. This may include drafting proposals, representing the program in external forums, and conceptualizing new publishing ventures.
• Innovative Dissemination: Translate complex ideas into formats that capture public imagination and spark discourse, including audio, video, and digital‑first projects.
• Flexibility & Program Support: Contribute to the broader success of the program by taking on tasks beyond the day‑to‑day, for example including support for speaker events (from program design to light logistics), assisting with convenings, and any other tasks as the program grows.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What You Will Need To Thrive

• Bachelor’s degree required. We are considering particularly two types of candidates:
  • Individuals with advanced degrees in philosophy and a related field (political theory, history of ideas, literature)
  • Alternatively, we will consider candidates with very strong track record of ideas focused experience in journalism
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience, with management, editorial, and operational experience (e.g., tracking grants, budgets, or funded projects).
• A portfolio of research, editorial, or authorial work that demonstrates both intellectual rigor and public clarity.
• Proven ability to lead complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, grants, and/or funded projects, ideally in a nonprofit or academic setting.
• Facility for both high‑level vision and scrupulous attention to intellectual and stylistic detail.
• Demonstrated ability to move fluidly between philosophical depth and public accessibility.
• A disposition oriented toward curiosity, intellectual generosity, operational rigor, and public impact.
• Willingness to embrace flexibility, supporting tasks outside of core work when needed.
• Experience with multimedia editing (audio, video, digital platforms) is an asset.

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 [e-mail] 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.