Audience Development Director Jobs in Reston, VA

Description

Help Expand the Reach of Ideas That Shape a Free Society

The Cato Institute is one of the nation's leading public policy organizations advancing individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Through our education programs, we equip students, educators, and lifelong learners with the ideas that sustain a free and open society.

We are seeking a Marketing Manager to lead growth across Cato's education portfolio, including Cato University, Cato Courses, Sphere Education Initiatives, and related initiatives.

This is not a support role. You will own the marketing strategy for a growing portfolio of education products and be responsible for expanding their reach, increasing engagement, and driving measurable growth.

The Marketing Manager will report to the Director of Marketing. This is a hybrid position in Washington, DC; the candidate can work remotely 3 days/week and must be in the office 2 days/week.

The salary range for this role is $80,000 - $90,000 per year. Compensation is based on the successful candidate's educational background, experience, and skills.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE TALENT MARKET APPLICATION. 

About Cato

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.

Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Responsibilities

What You'll Own

• Increasing course registrations and completion rates across Cato Courses - Cato's new dynamic online learning platform that dives into key topics shaping the world today
• Expanding attendance and geographic reach for Cato University in-person events - this is Cato's premier educational event series for college and graduate students providing exclusive access to Cato scholars and industry experts
• Scaling the Sphere Education Initiatives educator network - providing educators with viewpoint- diverse resources to bring conversations to the classroom and equip students to engage in civil discourse
• Growing and activating email audiences to support cross-marketing across products in the education initiatives portfolio
• Driving sustained increases in site traffic, engagement, and audience retention
• You will define the strategy, manage execution, and continuously optimize performance.

What You'll Build

• Scalable marketing campaigns that introduce new audiences to Cato's education products
• Clear audience journeys that meet learners where they are and guide them deeper into Cato's ecosystem
• A growing national network of educators and learners engaging with classical liberal ideas
• A repeatable growth engine that expands Cato's long-term influence

How You'll Work

• Collaborate with social, email, creative, and program teams to bring campaigns to life
• Manage external vendors and advertising partners to scale acquisition efforts
• Translate complex policy and educational content into clear, compelling marketing messages
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for all marketing initiatives, including reach, acquisition, engagement, and ROI 
• Prepare detailed reports and recommendations for the leadership team 
• Implement A/B testing and optimization strategies to improve campaign effectiveness
• Use data to test, learn, and improve campaign performance over time
• Work closely with communications, development, and program teams to ensure brand consistency
• You will have the support of internal specialists and external partners. You will own the direction.

What Success Looks Like

• Measurable growth in registrations, attendance, and audience size across all education products
• Strong performance across acquisition channels, including paid and organic
• Clear audience segmentation and effective cross-product engagement
• Continuous improvement through testing, analysis, and iteration

Requirements

 Qualifications

• A strong understanding of, and alignment with, libertarian or classical liberal principles is required
• 3-5+ years of experience in marketing, ideally in an agency, or mission-driven environment
• Experience driving events and course registrations, or audience development
• Experience managing multi-channel campaigns across digital platforms
• Comfort working with data, testing strategies, and performance optimization
• Ability to translate complex ideas into accessible, compelling messaging
• Strong project ownership and ability to drive work forward across teams
• Proficiency in email marketing and automation
• Experience with web analytics tools (Google Analytics, social media analytics) 
• Knowledge of digital advertising best practices 
• Familiarity with audience segmentation 
• Working knowledge of LLM AI tools 

Why This Role Matters

Cato's education programs are central to expanding the reach of ideas that support a free society. This role will directly shape how those ideas reach new audiences, especially educators and students at pivotal moments in their development.

You will play a key role in building a national network of learners and educators engaging with the principles of liberty.

Benefits

Cato offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• Paid parental leave
• Employer-provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) employer match
• Transit and parking benefits
• Pet discount plan

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

• Cover letter

1.  Genuine alignment with Cato's mission is essential for success in this role. Tell us how Cato's principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace shape your thinking, and where that thinking has led you. 
2. Which policy debates or issues are you most drawn to, and what draws you to them.

• Salary requirements
• Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

Questions can be directed to Katy Gambella, Director of Outreach at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: katy@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.