Associate, Social Innovation

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

We are seeking a passionate and detail-oriented Associate to support projects within our Social Innovation team. This role requires strong research and writing abilities, operational management skills, a problem-solving mindset, and a collaborative spirit. The Associate will help shape our approach to addressing pressing environmental and social challenges through innovative solutions and collaborative efforts. The Associate will provide support to project leads, manage administrative tasks, and contribute to impactful communications and events. They will also play a key role in conducting background research, coordinating meetings, preparing materials, and supporting the successful execution of prize-related projects

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• 1-3+ years of full-time work experience;
• High intellectual capacity that can be and has been applied to learning new areas of technological innovation, global philanthropy, and related fields;
• Global experience, including experience working overseas or with a wide range of cultures, particularly in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and/or Latin America, is a plus;
• Experience in prize competitions or technology is a plus; and
• Facility in navigating data-based research resources is a plus.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Undergraduate degree in a related field, such as international relations, social innovation or project management;
• Strong written and communications skills, including the ability to communicate complex topics in a clear manner; and
• High level of computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office suite, WordPress and other web-based communications tools.

WORKING CONDITIONS & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

This position will work in a professional office environment in Washington, DC. 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.

• Work closely with project leads to support various prize-related projects in our portfolio which include, but are not limited to, those in the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program ;
• Lead administrative support for the portfolio, including performing quality control and supporting project management across projects;
• Support activities related to prize design and operations, including background research, coordinating meetings, preparing materials, note-taking, updating website language, conducting specific analysis as requested, etc.; and,
• Contribute to communications, thought leadership, and events and convenings related to transformative prize philanthropy.