Senior Associate, Operations and Project Management at Milken Institute

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 Business and Program Development department is seeking a Senior Associate to support the department’s operational execution in major projects in the Santa Monica office. 

This position will play a pivotal role in representing the Business and Program Development team cross-departmentally within the Institute to direct and coordinate the department’s efforts in planning, managing and executing projects throughout the year, including the flagship Global Conference event in Los Angeles and other convenings globally.  

A successful candidate will provide support to shape, design and strategically think of all operational aspects of each given project under the guidance of his/her supervisor. They will display high independence and proactivity to understand the unique needs of the department, identifying interdependencies, determining appropriate actions and responsibilities to come up with workflows to keep the department on-task and on schedule. With a solution-oriented approach, the candidate will distill information and recommend best practices for both team and cross-departmental projects.

The candidate will report to a Director, Business and Program Development. 

Responsibilities

The Senior Associate will contribute to leading the Business and Program Development team’s project management processes and logistical needs year-round. This includes but is not limited to: 

• Lead project meetings from an operational perspective for the Business and Program Development Department.  
• Develop and manage timelines and project management plans for the department’s project operations in partnership with the Event Operations, Outreach and Engagement, IT, as well as Marketing & Communications teams. 
• Coordinate internal resources across the department (including colleagues in multiple different international time zones) for smooth project delivery. 
• Ensure required reporting is set up for accurate tracking and execution of event deliverables. 
• Devise detailed, best-practice project management plans, and communicate the plans for execution as well as monitor progress. 
• Take ownership of internal and external communications to ensure requirements are known and deadlines are met. 
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation. 
• Work closely and create partnership across departments, especially Global Programming, Events, Communications, international teams.
• Lead post-project diagnostics for the Business and Program Development department to help inform new best practices across Institute events and projects. 
• Duties as assigned. 

Requirements 

• Bachelor’s Degree with demonstrated experience in project management roles.
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience.
• Ability to toggle within MS Office suite with ease.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce is bonus.
• Possesses emotional intelligence in your ability to relate to others for collaboration and problem solving.
• Highly independent in directing daily workflows.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills across all levels and functions within and outside the organization.
• Excellent analytical and synthesis skills; able to translate complex business issues into plain, easily digestible messages for stakeholders across different setting.
• Must be intrinsically motivated with an excellence orientation; understand that no task is too big or too small.
• Comfortable working in a demanding, fast-paced organization with evolving processes; flexible and able to adapt to new situations as the business demands.
• Must be able to work proactively in a calm, professional manner under pressure and through challenging deadlines.
• Creative problem-solver who can design and implement workable solutions.

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 Santa Monica 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. International along with 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