Associate, Solutions Lab

Position: Associate, Solutions Lab

Reports to: Director, Solutions Lab

Location: Remote

Compensation: $64,000–$72,000

About the Business-Higher Education Forum

The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) is a dynamic, national, non-profit organization that works with innovative leaders throughout the higher education, business, non-profit, and government sectors to produce a future where higher education and business collaborate seamlessly to develop a skilled, adaptable workforce that drives innovation, fuels economic growth, and empowers individuals to thrive in meaningful careers. Our coalition of leading corporations and colleges work together to build replicable workforce solutions that ensure all workers are equipped with the skills, experiences, and opportunities to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

About The Role

The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) seeks a highly organized, proactive, and mission-driven Associate to join its Solutions Lab and support a portfolio of national initiatives advancing work-integrated learning (WIL)—the integration of academic learning with real-world work experiences such as internships, apprenticeships, and project-based learning. This is a full-time, grant-funded position through December 2027. Continuation beyond the grant period is contingent upon future funding availability.

This role will support key efforts within our Work-Integrated Learning Innovation Center, including:

• • The Institutional Capacity Expansion Lab, which supports colleges and universities in embedding WIL into academic programs, systems, and strategy, and
  • A national initiative to expand and evaluate innovative WIL models designed to increase access, improve quality, and better align with employer needs

Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen institutional capacity, expand equitable access to career-connected learning, and build scalable models that connect education to employment.

At the center of this work, the Associate will play a critical role in supporting implementation and operations—managing grants, coordinating institutional cohorts, supporting communities of practice, developing tools and resources, and tracking program outcomes. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to high-visibility, field-shaping work while gaining exposure to leaders across business, higher education, and philanthropy.

What You’ll Do

Grant Administration & Coordination

• • Support day-to-day management of subgrants to colleges, universities, and partners
  • Help draft scopes of work and track budgets, timelines, and deliverables
  • Serve as a point of contact for institutions on processes, deadlines, and reporting
  • Coordinate contracts, payments, and required documentation
  • Review and summarize grantee updates for internal and funder use

Convenings & Community of Practice

• • Coordinate logistics for virtual sessions, including scheduling, communications, and follow-up
  • Support planning and execution of in-person convenings
  • Prepare agendas, materials, and presentations for meetings and events
  • Track institutional progress and support basic data collection and surveys
  • Support the development of community, momentum and engagement

Program, Research & Initiative Support

• • Support the Director and Program Manager in keeping projects on track
  • Contribute to development of toolkits, case studies, and other resources
  • Conduct light research and help synthesize key takeaways from meetings and reports

Team Collaboration & Operations

• • Work across BHEF teams to support coordination and communication
  • Help maintain organized systems, trackers, and documentation
  • Provide general project and administrative support as needed
  • Proactively identify any challenges and elevate opportunities for improvement

What We’re Looking For

• • Two or more years’ experience in program coordination, operations, or a related field
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
  • Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with external partners, including colleges, employers, and funders
  • Experience coordinating meetings, events, or convenings, including logistics and participant communications
  • Comfort working with spreadsheets, documents, and tracking basic program and financial data
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, mission-driven, remote environment
  • Interest in workforce development, higher education, employer partnerships, or education-to-career pathways
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams) and virtual collaboration tools Familiarity with AI tools and willingness to use them to improve efficiency
  • Interest in travel up to 25% time

Preferred:

• • Experience supporting work-integrated learning (WIL), such as internships, or similar programs that connect students to employers
  • Familiarity with workforce development systems, higher education, or employer partnership models
  • Exposure to project management tools or CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
  • Exposure to program evaluation, surveys, data tracking, or outcomes measurement

About Our Culture and What We Offer

At BHEF, we pride ourselves on a collaborative, mission-driven, and flexible work environment. Our team values innovation, curiosity, inclusivity, the power of networks, and has a shared commitment to driving economic opportunity at the intersection of talent strategy, education, and workforce development. We are a networked organization at our core — we believe that building and sustaining strong, cross-sector networks is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting, systems-level change. We have a remote work policy with team members nationwide and an office in Washington, DC.

The salary range for this position is $64,000–$72,000,with a benefits package that includes:

• • Company Sponsored 401k Plan (with up to a 6% match)
  • Health/Dental/Vision/Rx Plans
  • Flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts
  • Long-Term/Short-Term Disability Coverage
  • Life Insurance
  • 14 Annual Holidays, generous PTO, and the week off between Christmas and New Years
  • $75 per month cell phone reimbursement

Travel up to 25% is expected to support the WIL Innovation Center’s initiatives, as well as participation in BHEF’s twice annual network convenings. This is a full-time, grant-funded position through December 2027. Continuation beyond the grant period is contingent upon future funding availability.

Join us to help shape the future of work-integrated learning and build pathways that connect education to opportunity-at-scale.

• • Company Sponsored 401k Plan (with up to a 6% match)
  • Health/Dental/Vision/Rx Plans
  • Flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts
  • Long-Term/Short-Term Disability Coverage
  • Life Insurance
  • 14 Annual Holidays, generous PTO, and the week off between Christmas and New Years
  • $75 per month cell phone reimbursement