Employment

The Ayn Rand Institute’s mission is to create a culture whose guiding principles are reason, rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism—a culture in which individuals are free to pursue their own happiness. To achieve this end, ARI is always looking for passionate, talented and bright people to join our team.

It’s rare for employment to offer one the opportunity to impact the culture and make history, but that’s exactly what we do at ARI. When we find a qualified candidate whose skills and experience meet the requirements of the position available and who shares our goal of exposing the world to Ayn Rand’s ideas, it’s a uniquely rewarding situation for all involved.

Our headquarters are located in beautiful Southern California, and we also have an office in Alexandria, Virginia.

ARI offers competitive salaries along with a rich benefits program, including health and dental coverage, the premiums for which are almost entirely employer-paid for full-time employees. We also offer matching funds for your retirement account and use a paid-time off banking system by which you are in the position to decide when and for what to use your time off. In addition, we provide ten paid holidays per year.

ARI currently has several employment opportunities available in our marketing, education and research policy departments.

ARI has the following employment opportunities available:

• ARI Junior Fellows Program
• Book Publicity Strategist
• Instructor
• Marketing Writer
• Research Assistant
• Senior Instructor
• Student Relations Coordinator
• Video/Digital Editor
• Web Coordinator
• How To Apply

Additionally, ARI also offers internship opportunities.

ARI Junior Fellows Program 2013–2014

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is offering up to 12-month fellowships for outstanding recent graduates to immerse themselves in what a policy-influencing career entails. ARI’s Junior Fellows program is a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience and vital skills, working alongside ARI’s intellectuals. Learn more about the program and how to apply.

Book Publicity Strategist

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Book Publicity Strategist to work in our Alexandria, Virginia, office. This is a full-time position reporting to the Institute’s Director of Public Outreach.

This position is responsible for generating and implementing strategies to promote published and soon-to-be published works by ARI staff writers, other ARI-approved writers, as well as some of Ayn Rand’s nonfiction works to a variety of audiences. This position is in charge of researching, creating and managing tactical plans for publicity campaigns and coordinates all publicist activities with publishers, authors and editors, and pertinent ARI staff. This person develops and maintains databases of relevant websites, bloggers and so forth, for each book and assists in creation of advertising and promotional material for each book. The position also works with the media and outreach staff to create, schedule and arrange media events, interviews and talks.

The candidate must be well acquainted with Objectivism and be able to communicate the ideas and principles in both oral and written form. Candidate needs to have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Position has continual contact with writers, speakers and editors, as well as publishing and marketing staff, so ability to develop long-term professional relationships and contacts is needed. The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented and an organized person able to multitask and work independently under pressure and tight deadlines. Promotional or sales experience is helpful, as is familiarity and/or experience in social media marketing. Experience and interest in book publicity and publishing is preferred, as is a college degree in business or marketing. Experience with project management is preferred. Familiarity with Microsoft Office and experience with online applications such as websites, blogs and social networks is essential. This position requires attendance at events or meetings outside normal work hours and some travel.

If you are motivated, excited and intrigued by this challenging and unique opportunity, please contact ARI immediately.

Instructor

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Instructor to work in our Irvine, California, office. This is an immediately available position reporting to the Vice President of Education and Research.

The Instructor is responsible for supporting the work of more senior instructors for ARI classes, and for supporting the development of new teaching materials for the Education and Research Division’s educational programs. The Instructor occasionally teaches classes under the guidance of senior instructors, acts as a liaison with students in ARI’s educational programs and grades testing materials for a wide range of educational courses and products. The Instructor is also responsible for producing written materials based on Objectivism for a wide variety of audiences, for reviewing course materials and proposals from other instructors and providing intellectual support to other divisions of ARI.

Preferred candidates will have a thorough understanding of Objectivism and the ability to apply that knowledge in writing and lecture form. They will have completed (or been a student in good standing at) the OAC and have an advanced degree (Ph.D. in Philosophy, History, Economics, or a related field preferred). Proficiency with MS Office is necessary, as is experience with web-based educational software like Moodle or eCollege. A preferred candidate will exhibit excellent judgment during interactions with students and colleagues, and be able to communicate effectively and calmly in all situations.

Marketing Writer

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a Marketing Writer to work full time in our Irvine, California, office. This new position is available now and will report to the Marketing Manager.

The Marketing Writer will write and oversee the production of ARI’s monthly newsletter Impact, as well as provide writing and editing support for the Development and Outreach Division. The position will be responsible for writing fundraising proposals to ARI contributors and prospective contributors. The successful candidate will provide effective communication about ARI programs to donors and prospective donors. This position will also write fundraising and marketing content for ARI’s websites and other digital assets. The position will involve occasional interaction with donors and the general public.

Preferred applicants will be highly competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. The successful candidate will have the ability to comfortably transfer between immediate and long-range projects and to work under pressure with tight writing deadlines. A strong understanding of Objectivism and an ability to communicate that knowledge in writing and speaking is required. Original writing samples are required. A college degree in communications or a related field is preferred.

Research Assistant

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Research Assistant to work in our Irvine, California, office. This is an immediately available position reporting to the Curriculum Development Manager.

The Research Assistant is responsible for supporting ARI’s instructors and course developers in creating courses for ARI’s education programs. Major responsibilities include:

• Proposing written content for instructors’ review and assist with converting existing written content into presentation format.

• Locating intellectual content by conducting online and traditional research as requested by instructors.

• Providing assistance with fact-checking and locating bibliographic references.

• Coordinating with other ARI programs and maintaining up-to-date records of ARI’s intellectual content assets that are cleared for use in ARI’s courses.

• Helping instructors with tracking to ensure all pieces of course content are prepared on deadline.

• Providing administrative and research support to instructors, education program staff and cross-divisional programs.

The ideal candidate will have completed coursework, or be a student in good standing, at the Objectivist Academic Center. A solid understanding of Objectivism and ability to communicate that knowledge in writing and speaking is preferred. Education background and experience in scholarly research is preferred.

Required skills/proven experience include: Strong research skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage large quantities of information. Also necessary are the ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and in speaking; competence in using Microsoft Office suite; and proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Candidate must have the ability to multitask and be comfortable switching between immediate and long-range projects. Candidate must be interested in continuing ongoing education in Objectivism and related fields. Local candidates or those who can begin working immediately possessing all the required and preferred experience, knowledge, and skills are favored.

Senior Instructor

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Senior Instructor to work in our Irvine, California, office. This is an immediately available position reporting to the Vice President of Education and Research.

The Senior Instructor is responsible for teaching ARI classes, for developing new teaching materials for the Education and Research Division’s educational programs, and for developing curricula for advanced classes in Objectivism and its application to various fields.

Preferred candidates will have a thorough understanding of Objectivism and the ability to apply that knowledge in writing and lecture form. They will have completed (or been a student in good standing at) the OAC, have an advanced degree (Ph.D. in Philosophy, History, Economics, or a related field preferred), and have five years of University-level teaching experience.

Student Relations Coordinator

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Student Relations Coordinator to join our fast-growing and dynamic e-learning team in our Irvine, California, office. The ideal candidate is energetic, passionate about education, and interested in helping increase the number of people learning about and discussing Ayn Rand’s ideas. This is an immediately available position reporting to the E-Learning Manager.

This position provides an excellent opportunity to work directly with a broad range of people: students, educators, adult learners, staff, and others. The Student Relations Coordinator acts as a liaison between all incoming and current students and ARI’s new online learning program, ARI Campus. A key function of this position is to interact with ARI Campus’s internal social network and discussion boards—encouraging and helping students—while acting as a moderator on behalf of ARI.  Other key functions include growing the community and data mining to track student activity for the purpose of both understanding the audience and improving the program.

The successful candidate would serve as the first point of contact for the program’s students, handle ongoing student relations, respond to inquiries, and encourage ongoing and increasing participation in the program through a variety of activities (and encourage activity in other relevant ARI programs). The Coordinator is responsible for assisting in recruiting new students and helping engage both active and potential students in social media platforms. The Coordinator would work as a member of a team including instructors, research assistants, e-learning, marketing, web and other staff. The Coordinator would prepare analytic reports in response to queries originating from others on the team. He or she would provide ongoing research support into the field of online learning and other relevant topics. Finally, the Coordinator would have the opportunity to write program-related content, provide content support to instructors and e-learning staff (including making updates to the website), and assist in a variety of ways with the development of ARI Campus courses, depending on skills and experience.

Skills/Background

The ideal candidate will have experience as a community-relations coordinator with a record of exceptional judgment and communication skills when working with social media and discussion boards—or have similar experience. 
Preferred candidates will not only be able to spearhead the program’s student relations and community-building, but will be excited and motivated to work in a variety of capacities on a team dedicated to providing educational content, based on Ayn Rand and her ideas, to all levels of students. Other important skills include the following:

• A professional demeanor and the ability to handle deadlines and pressure calmly
• Ability to prioritize and stay organized while switching between long-range and immediate projects without sacrificing speed or accuracy 
• Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and in speaking
• Competence in using Microsoft Office suite and project management software
• Experience using Google Analytics and working with a CMS
• Experience with e-learning programs or instructional design models
• Experience working with academics, professors and students 
• A thorough knowledge of, and interest in, Objectivism, and interest in continuing ongoing education in Objectivism and related fields. Completion of ARI’s Objectivist Academic Center core program is preferred but not essential.

If you are a good communicator and an enthusiastic problem-solver seeking increasing challenges and responsibilities in an exciting work environment, ARI would like to hear from you.

Video/Digital Editor

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a Video/Digital Editor to work in our Irvine, California, office. This is a full-time position reporting to the Institute’s Multimedia Producer.

This position is responsible for editing picture and sound for ARI’s online video content. The Video/Digital Editor will also manager assets for archival purposes and delivery to the online programmer.

The candidate must be proficient in editing, animated graphics and creating special effects. Familiarity with Adobe After Effects is required for this position. The ideal candidate must be organized, detail oriented, able to communicate ideas in a collaborative environment, and be able to handle multiple projects. A strong background in film and graphic design are preferred. Knowledge of Final Cut and/or Final Cut Pro is helpful as well.

If you are motivated, excited and intrigued by this challenging and unique opportunity, please contact ARI immediately.

Web Coordinator

The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) is seeking a full-time Web Coordinator to work in our Irvine, California, office. This is an immediately available position reporting to the Marketing Manager. The Web Coordinator provides programming and maintenance support for ARI’s websites and associated digital properties.

Requirements for this position include knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices and procedures within the field. Must have experience in web development, including HTML, PHP, and JavaScript. Must have knowledge of search engines and page optimization. Must have knowledge of PC hardware and software, including experience in troubleshooting and debugging, experience with database management and some programming skills.

Because there is a great deal of verbal and e-mail interaction with staff and management, a professional demeanor and an ability to handle pressure calmly are necessary, plus excellent organization skills. Must be able to give training to lower-level administrators, and must have the patience and ability to provide technical support and training to users of varying skill levels. Must be able to handle many tasks concurrently, with changing priorities. Must be able to respond in a clear, professional manner to technical and non-technical e-mail inquiries from web visitors. An interest in and understanding of Objectivism is a plus.

How To Apply

Those interested in employment with ARI should forward their resume and a cover letter, including salary expectations, to Human Resources Department, The Ayn Rand Institute, 2121 Alton Parkway, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92606 or by fax to (949) 222-6558 or by e-mail to employment@aynrand.org. Evidence of eligibility to work in the United States will be required. Completion of an ARI Employment Application will be requested before being considered for an interview. All ARI employees are subject to background screening, and are required to sign an ARI Employee Confidentiality Agreement.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in ARI employment, we are able to contact only those to whom we can offer an interview. No phone calls please.