Associate Director, Global Programming

Salary Range:
$85,000.00 To $110,000.00 Annually

About the Position

The Milken Institute (MI) seeks an Associate Director to join our dynamic Global Programming team. Members of this team oversee the content development, stakeholder engagement, and editorial oversight throughout all the Institute’s signature events, including our flagship Global Conference and slate of Summits, Symposia, and Dialogues. Successful candidates will bring organization, attention to detail, and creativity to bear, adding value to the Institute’s programmatic reputation and event execution.

Working closely with and reporting to the Director of Global Programming, the Associate Director will support several key functions including moderator research and coordination, talent and VIP outreach, and special projects prioritized by the Director and broader Global Programming team leadership. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, diplomatic, and thrives in a fast-paced, high-profile event environment.

Responsibilities

Moderator Strategy and Execution (30%)

• Research, identify, and cultivate a diverse pipeline of high-quality moderators for Institute events—ranging from leading journalists and prominent thought leaders to subject matter experts from think tanks, academia, and industry. Evaluate potential moderators based on subject expertise, facilitation style, and alignment with session objectives, and contribute to relationship-building efforts to secure their engagement across public and private programming.
• Conduct diligence and outreach to confirm moderators for public and private sessions across Institute events—including the Global Conference, Summits, Symposiums, and Dialogues. Assess each candidate’s fit based on subject matter expertise, audience engagement skills, speaker chemistry, and ability to guide thoughtful, dynamic conversations aligned with program goals.
• Maintain and regularly update the Institute’s internal moderator database, including bios, affiliations, participation history, performance notes, and future engagement potential to ensure clear visibility across events, sessions, and topics.
• Prepare moderator briefing materials and facilitate preparation calls and/or coaching as needed.
• Collaborate across departments—including Marketing and Communications, Pillars, and Business and Program Development—to maintain consistency in moderator selection and uphold the Institute’s editorial standards. Serve as the internal point person for moderator coordination across Institute departments, including Business and Program Development, Government Affairs, and Pillars.

Talent and VIP Outreach (30%)

• Research, evaluate, and recommend high-profile talent and celebrity speakers whose platforms and areas of influence align with the Institute’s mission and programming objectives. Stay informed on emerging voices and public figures across sectors, including entertainment, sports, and media.
• Lead and track targeted outreach efforts to talent representatives, including agents, managers, and publicists, using both direct and relationship-based approaches. Maintain detailed records of outreach history and engagement progress to support long-term relationship development and strategic visibility at Institute events.
• Coordinate logistics and maintain communications with VIP guests, ensuring a polished, professional, and seamless experience across all Institute signature events.
• Maintain organized records of outreach and engagement to inform long-term relationship building.

Topical Research and Content Development (20%)

• Contribute to creative ideation between programming colleagues, business development, and research-focused pillars to ensure that our events highlight the most relevant, innovative, and action-oriented content.
• Stay abreast of essential trends connected to the 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, talent, and public influencers—to complement the existing high-level Institute network.
• Drive content curation and session development, draft session descriptions and briefing documents, and ensure program materials have mission-aligned narratives and clear, timely objectives.

Relationship Management and Stakeholder Engagement (10%)

• Contribute to an increasingly inclusive pool of thought leaders to ensure that all Institute programs reflect inclusivity of both perspectives and people.
• Cultivate new meaningful relationships for the Institute and collaborate on enhancing engagement for existing relationships.
• Support speaker outreach and relationship management when drafting speaker invitations, researching principal expertise, and identifying direct/secondary communication paths to principal offices.
• Keep relevant databases and the Institute CRM up to date with accurate and thorough information, ensuring internal processes are followed and enforced by program contributors.
• Prepare and design supporting documents sent to speakers and moderators to ensure a seamless engagement experience, including session-specific briefing materials, bespoke itineraries, etc.

Special Projects (10%)

• Support special assignments and strategic initiatives as prioritized by the Director and other Global Programming team leadership.
• Assist with session curation, research, development, and other project support as needed across Institute global events.
• Duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in journalism, communications, public relations, public policy, or a related field.
• 6-8 years of relevant experience in communications, events, and/or business development; experience working with C-suite level executives a plus.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong project management, organizational, and research skills.
• Ability to balance multiple workstreams, respond quickly to shifting priorities, and collaborate across teams.
• Familiarity with working with talent/publicist contacts, media professionals, or high-profile speakers preferred.
• Creative thinker with a strong eye for functionality, presentation, and branding.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Salesforce.
• Expertise in researching and analyzing key players across sectors such as politics, finance, media, technology, entertainment, sports, and sustainability, with the ability to synthesize insights into concise briefs.

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

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