About the Position

The Senior Associate supports the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), the Milken Institute's national effort to expand access to capital for small business owners through a network of national small business service providers. Reporting to the IIE Director, this role leads jurisdictional engagement activities, coordinates communities of practice, and supports applied research, stakeholder engagement, and national program execution across priority markets.

Career Progression & Growth Pathway

The Senior Associate role is designed as a key professional development position within Milken Institute Finance, providing a clear pathway to expanded leadership, subject-matter expertise, and increased responsibility across the Pathways to Capital portfolio and the Milken Institute Finance pillar. The Senior Associate will demonstrate:

• Deepen subject-matter expertise in inclusive finance, State Small Business Credit Initiative implementation, other Federal, state, and local small business financing programs, and jurisdiction-level capital deployment.
• Expanded leadership in managing multi-jurisdiction initiatives and national communities of practice.
• Greater responsibility for partner management, funder-facing deliverables, and cross-program coordination.
• Contribution to strategic planning, program design, and performance measurement across MI Finance initiatives.
• Progress toward promotional opportunities such as Director or Associate Director roles based on performance, funding, and organizational needs.

Senior Associates who demonstrate strong analytical rigor, stakeholder leadership, and program execution capabilities are well-positioned for advancement within MI Finance and across the Milken Institute's broader policy and capital markets platforms.

Responsibilities

• Leads the coordination of IIE jurisdictional engagement efforts with state, local, territorial, and Tribal stakeholders.
• Collaborates with and supports other Pathways to Capital programs, including Milken Institute's work related to community infrastructure finance, HBCUs, and inclusive capitalism.
• Facilitates communities of practice for state and local program administrators, community development financial institutions, community-based organizations, ecosystem intermediaries, and IIE implementation partners.
• Produces policy, market, and programmatic research related to inclusive small business finance, including reports, white papers, articles, presentations, and other thought leadership materials.
• Prepares briefings, memos, and marketing materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Orchestrates and participates in convenings, conferences, webinars, panels, and learning sessions.
• Plans and executes projects, including developing scopes of work, estimates, schedules, communication plans, and other project management tools.
• Tracks jurisdictional engagement milestones, deliverables, and emerging policy trends.
• Coordinates internally with marketing, communications, operations, business development, legal, and other cross-functional teams.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; preferred fields include finance, economics, business, law, communications, or public policy.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong knowledge of financial markets, institutions, and regulatory policy.
• Demonstrated knowledge of small business capital access challenges, opportunities, solutions, and ecosystem contributors.
• Strong knowledge and skills in project management.
• Experience in stakeholder relations, external affairs, and partnership building.
• Demonstrated analytical, research, and writing skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Notion, project management resources, and AI tools.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday - Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute's sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Domestic travel is possible. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning - over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
• Annual Mentor Program
• Wellness Resources:
• Employee Assistance Program
• CALM app membership