About Constructive Dialogue Institute

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan, non-profit co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation. CDI equips colleges and universities with skills to foster constructive dialogue across differences, offering co-curricular programming, professional development, and strategic guidance. Working here means contributing to a mission-driven organization focused on bridging divides and creating lasting institutional change.

About the role

As Program Manager, Live Programs, you will own end-to-end delivery of CDI's most complex partner engagements, particularly multi-session, multi-stakeholder programs. You will serve as the primary partner-facing lead, ensuring successful implementation while also driving continuous improvement of delivery systems and evolving how CDI measures program impact. This role is pivotal in scaling CDI's training and educational programs and directly contributing to its theory of change.

A typical day

A typical day might involve leading a check-in call with a university partner, coordinating with internal teams on program logistics, analyzing feedback data to refine upcoming sessions, and collaborating with the Research team to align evaluation metrics. You could also be updating delivery systems, preparing materials for a multi-session workshop, or troubleshooting issues that arise with stakeholders.

Who Constructive Dialogue Institute is looking for

Experienced program manager with a proven track record of delivering complex, multi-stakeholder engagements end-to-end, ideally in higher education, non-profit, or training contexts.
Strong partner-facing skills, able to build relationships with university administrators, faculty, and staff, and navigate sensitive conversations around dialogue and difference.
Systems thinker who can improve delivery processes and collaborate with Research to design and implement impact evaluation aligned with organizational goals.
Mission-driven individual passionate about constructive dialogue and skilled at turning program data into actionable insights for continuous improvement.

Tips for this application

Highlight specific examples of managing multi-session, multi-stakeholder programs—quantify complexity (e.g., number of stakeholders, sessions, duration) and outcomes.
Demonstrate familiarity with CDI's work and audience (U.S. colleges and universities) by referencing their programs or resources in your application.
Emphasize any experience with impact measurement or evaluation, especially in educational or non-profit settings, and how you've used data to improve programs.
Show your ability to work remotely and independently, as this is a full-time remote role, by mentioning past remote successes and self-management skills.
Align your language with CDI's non-partisan, dialogue-focused mission—avoid partisan phrasing and instead stress bridge-building and collaboration.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs from start to finish, with specific metrics or outcomes.', "How you've served as a partner-facing lead, building trust and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders (e.g., university leadership, faculty, staff).", 'Your approach to continuous improvement and impact measurement, including any collaboration with research teams to align evaluation with theory of change.', "Your personal motivation for joining CDI's mission and how you embody constructive dialogue in your work."]

Draft a cover letter

Research before applying

Explore CDI's website, especially their programs, theory of change, and any published research or impact reports.
Read Jonathan Haidt's work (e.g., The Righteous Mind, The Anxious Generation) to understand the intellectual foundation of CDI.
Research the landscape of dialogue and deliberation programs in higher education to understand CDI's niche and competitors.
Look up recent news or publications about CDI or its partners to get a sense of current initiatives and challenges.

Constructive Dialogue Institute website

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

Describe a time you managed a complex, multi-session program with multiple stakeholders. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
How would you approach measuring the impact of CDI's Live Programs? What metrics or methods would you consider?
CDI works with colleges and universities. How would you tailor your communication and delivery to different institutional contexts (e.g., large public vs. small liberal arts)?
Tell us about a time you improved a delivery system or process. What was the result?
How do you handle sensitive or politically charged conversations while maintaining non-partisanship and fostering constructive dialogue?

Practise interview questions

Common mistakes to avoid

Being overly partisan or dismissive of viewpoints—CDI is non-partisan, so avoid language that suggests bias.
Failing to demonstrate experience with complex, multi-stakeholder programs—this is core to the role.
Neglecting to mention impact measurement or data-driven improvement, as this is a key responsibility.
Using generic language about program management without tailoring to CDI's specific context (higher education, dialogue, non-profit).

Deadline

No deadline is listed. Roles without a deadline usually close once the employer has enough candidates, so apply soon if you are interested.