The Acton Institute hosts over 40 events around the globe each year on topics including crony capitalism, social justice, communism, moral foundations of a free society, and much more. Our Programs & Education team spends a significant amount of time planning content, recruiting leveraged attendees, setting schedules, and developing strategy for these high impact events that bring the Acton Institute mission to thousands of global leaders each year. As an Emerging Leader in our Programs & Education department you will have the opportunity to collaborate with our talented team of experienced professionals to develop content and programming to be distributed around the globe. You will also have the opportunity to gain real experience behind the scenes at our annual conference, Acton University, that brings 800+ people from 80+ countries each year. This program will enrich your professional network and equip you with a unique work experience.

Every non-profit organization has a development team that tirelessly works to inform investors and potential investors of the impact that an organization is achieving. At Acton Institute, we view our development team as the “fuel that keeps the engine running.” Without a strong team of fundraisers committed to advancing the mission, Acton Institute would not exist. We want you to join our talented team of experienced development staff through our Emerging Leaders Program. Through this role, you will be equipped with the skills and technical know how that will allow you to pursue a professional development career in any non-profit organization that you desire. You will not only gain a better understanding of how to effectively articulate an organization’s mission to outside stakeholders, but also learn the technical side of the development profession.

Are you interested in pursuing a career in non-profit accounting? By joining our accounting team as part of the Emerging Leaders Program, you will have the opportunity to work directly with Acton’s team of experienced accounting professionals--including working directly with the CFO. In addition to general finance support, you will be able to work with Acton’s bookshop and e-commerce platforms in order to discover innovative ways to streamline processes and support increasing sales and distribution. By working in Acton’s Finance department, you will have the opportunity to hone a unique set of skills that will prove valuable in future career aspirations.

As an Emerging Leader in our Media department, through various communication and media products and platforms, you will assist in all aspects of production, including podcasts, videography, photography, and live event production, to further the reach of Acton’s mission to a worldwide audience. Projects will include working on our media archives in the CatDV system, producing edited content, assisting with audio and video recording at Acton events, and assisting with photography and film shoots. Training will be provided.

The Acton Institute Research Department boasts a team of world-renowned scholars who publish important books and write for leading journals, magazines, and digital outlets. Focusing on research that advances a moral argument for free enterprise, Acton’s research fellows also speak at events around the globe and frequently appear on the podcasts, Acton Unwind and Acton Line. Emerging Leaders on Acton’s research team hone their writing and editing skills while conducting qualitative research as part of their robust academic experience. As an Emerging Leader for the Research Department, you will play a key role in supporting Acton’s scholarly mission. Topic areas for researchers in summer 2025 will include poverty and the family, poverty-focused non-profits, Orthodox social thought, history of economics, American founders, conservative and classical liberal thought in Brazil, and religious liberty in Argentina.

Over 2 million people interact with Acton Institute’s digital media platforms each year. This includes Religion & Liberty, Religion & Liberty Online, and other online publications. Acton also boasts a following of more than 1 million people across all social media channels. As an Emerging Leader in our Marketing & Communications department, you will have the opportunity to engage this broad audience of global influencers on a daily basis through the publication of articles, editing, social media interactions, and more. Acton’s talented team of marketing and communication professionals will work with you on a daily basis to develop and hone your written and verbal communication skills.

The Executive Department, including the office of the President, oversees all aspects of the work at the Acton Institute. The department ensures that all outputs align with our mission and guide strategy for our programs. Participants in this department will work directly with executives to craft external facing outputs such as presentations as well as complete special research projects. Candidates who will thrive in this role are those who have a variety of skillsets and can translate large strategic initiatives into actions steps to move projects forward. 

The Center for Social Flourishing is a new initiative of the Acton Institute that seeks to promote integral human development, access to the institutions of justice, and local, entrepreneurial solutions to poverty in both the United States and around the world. Our goal is to reframe the discussion from combating poverty to establishing the conditions of justice and social flourishing that enable people to create prosperity in their own families and communities. The Center’s work includes multimedia projects, research, and conferences and events. As an Emerging Leader with the Center for Social Flourishing you will assist with academic and journalistic research for multimedia and writing projects, assist in the logistical planning and execution of several lecture and/or film screening events, and assist with social media content creation.