Senior Program Officer II, Leadership Practice

Who We Are

IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. With a projected annual portfolio of more than $100 million and more than 600 staff worldwide, we work with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.

The Senior Program Officer will provide vision and leadership for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program including programmatic and logistical development and implementation, budgetary oversight, data management, compliance, and staff management, including oversight of specific program activities and supervision of other team members.

Are you the next member of our team?

Your Background & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, international education, business, or related field, Master’s degree preferred.
• 8+ years implementing international education programs and demonstrating relevant progressive experience with a focus on exchange or alumni programming and/or professional training/development programs.
• Experience with Department of State or other USG grants and contracts.
• Experience recruiting and selecting participants or partners or similar experience.
• Minimum of two years managing and mentoring junior staff or similar experience.
• Experience with procurement procedures and sub-award management, preferred.
• Experience with visa regulations and/or U.S. government SEVIS system, preferred.
• Experience monitoring program budgets, preferred.
• Experience in coaching, advising, or other relevant leadership development work with young professionals, preferred.
• Experience in presentations, facilitation and training/workshop development preferred.
• Skills may vary based on program, project, or practice needs.
• Skills in or interest in developing capacity for related platforms including Salesforce, Mailchimp, Submittable, Canvas, or similar.
• Demonstrated understanding of Canada, Latin America and Caribbean and recent developments in the region.
• Able to work independently and as a team member with consistent ability to take initiative, meet deadlines, and be flexible.
• Proven organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, including the ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced office environment.
• Demonstrated ability to plan strategically and creatively to meet specified objectives with strong ability to anticipate challenges and generate solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Demonstrated excellent writing and document proofing skills, with experience documenting program impact using data.
• Proficient in Microsoft office products, especially Excel.
• Professionalism in written correspondence and report writing, excellent oral presentation and facilitation skills.
• Availability for potential domestic and international travel.
• International work or study experience in Canada, Latin America or the Caribbean preferred.
• Knowledge of Spanish, French or Portuguese, preferred.
• You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

Your Daily Tasks

• Support team leadership in all aspects of program implementation to ensure timely and accurate completion of deliverables for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program.
• Manage program operations and lead all aspects of the Fellow Experience component, a main programmatic component including recruitment, selection, travel, visa processing, and in-country support and monitoring.
• Develop processes for the planning and implementation of activities, including recruiting, selecting, and supporting fellows from pre-arrival and during their experience in the United States.
• Maintain compliance around procurement, subawards and contracts implementation, partnership monitoring and records management for a wide range of partners, maintaining accuracy and completeness.
• Serve as Alternate Responsible Officer for IREX’s SEVIS designation for the program.
• Serve as primary programmatic liaison for U.S. Embassy and Consulates across the Western Hemisphere.
• Develop and maintain processes to collect, track, and organize a wide range of participant information and program data, maintaining accuracy and completeness.
•  Contribute to project monitoring, evaluation and learning, analyzing results to inform