Temp Associate Director, Business Program, Middle East

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 Milken Institute seeks a Temp Associate Director focused on the Middle East region to join our dynamic International team on a maternity cover (10-month appointment), with the possibility of an extension. The Temp Associate Director will support the development of the annual Middle East and Africa Summit as well as contribute to functions of the broader Business and Program Development team, including our global portfolio of convenings connected to the Milken Institute’s research centers and our flagship Global Conference.

Successful candidates will apply their regional expertise, professional working knowledge, and on-the-ground experience in the Middle East to program development. They will bring organization, attention to detail, and creativity to bear, adding value to the Institute’s reputation and event execution.

Responsibilities

Program and Event Management

• Collaborate with colleagues across departments and regions to support the planning, coordination, and execution of the annual MEA Summit.
• Assist with business development project management tasks related to the Summit, including timelines, interdepartmental coordination, and content development, while ensuring alignment with senior staff direction.
• Support outreach to potential speakers and stakeholders in the MEA region, ensuring a balance of regional and international representation.
• Coordinate virtual and in-person events connected to MEA programming, including private gatherings and stakeholder roundtables.
• Contribute to MEA-related sessions at the Global Conference, Asia Summit, and London Dialogues.
• Assist with outreach, agenda-setting, and relationship management for senior regional leaders and stakeholders.
• Provide logistical preparation and on-site support at major events, occasionally during evenings or weekends.
  
  

Relationship Management and Business Development

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, corporate partners, financial institutions, foundations, and regional stakeholders.
• Build knowledge of sponsor businesses to proactively identify opportunities for collaboration and alignment with Institute priorities.
• Identify and pursue new partnership opportunities across the Middle East to expand the Institute’s regional presence and impact.
• Build pipelines for sponsorships, partnerships, and collaborations by leveraging existing networks and cultivating new relationships.
• Develop strategic engagement plans for senior principals to maximize effectiveness in regional outreach and relationship building.
• Provide responsive, high-quality support to partners and stakeholders, ensuring their objectives are met.
• Support stewardship planning through research, Salesforce data, and internal coordination to strengthen and expand donor and sponsor engagement.
  
  

Internal Coordination and Communication

• Partner with colleagues across departments and geographies to ensure business development efforts are aligned with broader Institute objectives.
• Serve as a key point of contact between regional stakeholders and Institute leadership, ensuring clear communication and consistent engagement.
• Work with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure donor obligations are communicated, delivered, and exceeded.
• Coordinate with cross-departmental teams on event planning, donor commitments, and participation.
• Organize and facilitate interdepartmental meetings related to MEA programming.
• Duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate has a healthy sense of humor, is quick on their feet, and thrives in a highly collaborative environment while also taking ownership of their own duties.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in an advancement, stakeholder engagement, or related role within a public institution or nonprofit environment, including at least 3 years of management or leadership experience.
• Regional expertise, professional working knowledge, and on-the-ground experience in the Middle East and Africa region.
• Knowledge of best practices for stakeholder engagement and experience working with donor management software.
• Strong knowledge of administrative and management principles, procedures, and evaluative techniques to effectively coordinate functional operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to organize complex projects and priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization and with external audiences, particularly when representing the Institute at events.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly develop positive working relationships, support colleagues, remain flexible, and thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams); Salesforce/CRM experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred (fields may include public affairs, political science, economics, finance, international affairs, nonprofit management).
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in Arabic strongly preferred. Additional regional languages are a plus.
  
  

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will be working in a professional office environment, on a hybrid model, where you will be expected to report to the London office location 3-days per week (Tuesday - Thursday), this is subject to change.

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

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United Kingdom. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the United Kingdom is a precondition of employment.

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.

Please submit a CV 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 CV and cover letter will be rejected.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, 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