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 bachelor's 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 Aspen's 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 Aspen's learning assets. Successful candidates will bring relevant field expertise in postsecondary leadership, transfer, workforce development, and/or 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 Aspen's 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 Aspen's Director of Leadership and Field Engagement. The salary range for this role is $90,000 to $110,000.
WHAT YOU WILL DO The Curriculum Manager role spans three essential responsibilities, balancing high-quality instructional design with cross-functional project management.
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 presidents/rising 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 education.
- Ensure 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 priorities.
- Collaborate 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 participants.
- Develop 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 clarity.
- Establish 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 skills• including the ability to manage concurrent timelines, meet strict deadlines, and maintain high standards of quality• and preferably experience with enterprise project management tools (e.g., Asana).
- Collaboration: The capacity to shift between independent execution, small-team collaboration, and large-scale coordination with external vendors, contractors, and third-party partners.
- Adaptability and Resilience: Comfort integrating feedback from multiple organizational layers and adjusting to shifting priorities to meet changing demands.
- Education: A bachelor's degree, with a preference for an advanced degree in higher education, public policy, organizational leadership, or a related field.
HOW TO APPLY A set of application questions have been included in the application process. The first set confirms the minimum requirements listed in this posting. The additional application questions help us understand the depth and focus of your experience. Please answer each question accurately. Your responses will be reviewed along with your resume and a one-page cover letter. CEP prefers cover letters that describe what motivates you and how you understand and relate to our mission rather than a narrative version of your resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
All candidates are expected to respond to the application questions, to provide an up-to-date resume, and one-page cover letter. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Aspen Institute offers a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and prescription benefits, retirement benefits, and paid leave.
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