Senior Associate, Global Programming

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event. 

About the Position

The Milken Institute seeks a Senior Associate to join our dynamic Global Programming team. Members of this team oversee the content development and stakeholder engagement throughout all of the Milken Institute’s marquee events, including our flagship Global Conference. Successful candidates will bring organization, attention to detail, and creativity to bear, adding value to the Institute’s programmatic reputation and event execution. 

Reporting to the Director of Global Programming, the incoming Senior Associate will assist with the development of our bi-annual Dialogues programs as well as support functions of the broader Global Programming team, including our global portfolio of convenings connected to the Milken Institute’s research pillars , the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, and our flagship Global Conference. 

Responsibilities 

• Topical Research and Content Development:
  • Contribute to creative ideation between programming colleagues, business development, and pillar colleagues to ensure the most relevant, innovative, and action-oriented content is highlighted at our events. 
  • Stay abreast of important trends connected to the Milken Institute’s mission and conduct research on timely global challenges, priorities, and trends to help inform program development, session descriptions, thought leadership, and talking points within speaker briefing materials. 
  • Research and identify prominent and emerging leaders, including social entrepreneurs, innovative corporate executives, leading researchers, and public influencers to complement the existing high-level Milken Institute network.
  • Support content curation and session development, draft session descriptions and briefing documents, ensure program materials have mission-aligned narratives and clear, timely objectives. 
  • Implement and project manage day-to-day activities and processes between multiple stakeholder groups in close coordination with colleagues – creating strong communication paths and working relationships. 

• Relationship Management and Stakeholder Engagement: 
  • Support speaker outreach and relationship management by drafting speaker invitations, researching principal expertise. 
  • Prepare and design supporting documents sent to speakers to support a seamless engagement experience – including session-specific briefing materials, bespoke itineraries, etc.
    
    
• Internal Coordination: 
  • Support inter- and intradepartmental communications to ensure smooth collaboration, effective processes, and deadlines are met for relevant deliverables.
  • Keep relevant databases and Institute CRM up to date with accurate and thorough information. Ensure internal processes are followed and enforce process adherence by program contributors. 
  • Maintain collaborative working documents within the programming department, business development department and across other teams as necessary/relevant.
    
    
• Event Execution:
  • Travel should be anticipated to attend and staff regional events as needed to support Global Programming team and assist with execution of a successful event.
    
    
• Duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A generalist by nature, but with interest in, and working knowledge of, topics such as: international affairs, financial markets, geopolitics, and global business trends.
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and to work collaboratively across colleagues throughout the 300+ person Milken Institute. 
• The confidence to interact professionally and competently with corporate leaders, public figures, government officials, dignitaries, and other global policy leaders. 
• An appreciation of, and respect for, the unique role the Milken Institute has in convening the best minds in any field to further global solutions. 
• Team-oriented. Individuals who seek out tasks when work is completed and assist colleagues to ensure goals, requirements, and deadlines are achieved. 
• Multitaskers able to handle complex projects with numerous stakeholders, requiring ability to effectively prioritize and respond promptly to internal requests. 
• Experience working with external stakeholders and supporters to advance supporter ideas and themes while balancing with overall Institute needs and vision. 
• Motivated self-starters and hard workers displaying high productivity and follow-through in all areas of responsibility. 
• Exceptional interpersonal and soft skills, with a positive, collaborative personality. 
• Able to embrace an attitude of "no job is too small,” with laser-sharp attention to detail and high standards of excellence. 
• Strong project management skills with a keen eye to process design, development, and implementation across stakeholders and teams within a matrixed organization. 

Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree required. 
• A minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience with increasing responsibility in one or more of the following fields: project management, program management, event management, executive office support, think-tanks, research, relevant nonprofit institutions, or government entities. 
• Ability to adapt to fluctuating business hours based on workflows and relevant time zones across Milken Institute global offices. 
• Excellent writing, editing, and analytical skills. Effective communicator, both oral and written. 
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office required. Experience with Salesforce, Claude, and Airtable preferred. 
• Excellent organizational skills and the willingness and ability to organize multiple, ongoing projects is critical. 
• Fluency in English required.

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.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran. 

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone. 

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