Student Programs Manager
For nearly two decades, the Cato Institute’s Student Programs team has worked to identify and develop future leaders, thinkers, advocates, and supporters of the libertarian movement. The students and rising professionals Cato engage go on to bring a libertarian perspective to impactful careers spanning education, government, media, advocacy, and business. We are seeking a motivated Programs Manager to lead the Student Programs department as we expand our efforts to reach those interested in the intersection of ideas and public policy.
This position will be located at Cato's office in Washington, DC, with potential for limited travel.
Company Overview
The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues. Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.
The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Responsibilities
Student Programs Department Management
- Establish strategies, systems, measurement, goals, and reporting for Student Programs initiatives; ensure department goals are met
- Monitor department budget, steward department resources, deploy them to meet goals
- Ensure information is collected and stored conducive to efficient operation and reporting
- Supervise department staff and all Cato interns, handle intern payroll and operations
Student Programs Outreach
- Evaluate, create, and enhance in-person, digital, and referral outreach
- Build internal and external partnerships to develop and promote department goals
- Represent Cato at meetings, conferences, and events. Speak to visiting groups
Cato Internship Program
- Ensure internship programming lines up with department goals and reporting
- Evaluate and set program dates, curriculum, partnerships, enrichment opportunities, etc.
- Talent identification, selection, development, and placement; HR concerns
- Develop an alumni engagement strategy consistent with department goals
Requirements
- 2+ years of professional experience
- Strong familiarity with libertarian political philosophy and policy perspectives
- Solid understanding of the Cato Institute, its mission and fit within the public policy community
- Temperament suitable for external communication, including communication with donors and audiences that may be skeptical of or even hostile to Cato’s research and policy recommendations
- The judgment and diligence necessary to work effectively when working independently
- Familiarity with, or ability to quickly learn, Microsoft Office and Google applications, Salesforce, HubSpot, social media, etc.