- Buen Salario : Program Director - Barcelona

Authentica Employees, Location, Alumni; Barcelona; Presencial; EUR 60.000 - 70.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

An established and dynamic organization is seeking a Program Director to oversee all aspects of its Barcelona operations. This role offers the chance to manage academic delivery, faculty, and student services while focusing on sustainability and career development. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating strong leadership and communication skills. With a commitment to work-life balance, this position begins as part-time, transitioning to full-time, and offers competitive compensation. Join a forward-thinking team dedicated to advancing international education and making a positive impact.

Servicios

Work-life balance

Flexible working hours

Professional development opportunities

Formación

• 5+ years of experience in program management, preferably with US undergraduates abroad.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsabilidades

• Oversee academic delivery, faculty management, and student services in Barcelona.
• Develop and manage the Barcelona budget and ensure compliance with local regulations.

Conocimientos

Program Management

Communication Skills

Fluency in English

Fluency in Spanish

Multi-tasking

Emotional Intelligence

Educación

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Herramientas

MS Office

LMS Systems

SIS Systems

Descripción del empleo

Barcelona

EUR 60.000 - 70.000

About Authentica
We are an academic and experiential program provider of expertly-curated global programs. While our offerings span all disciplines and can be tailored to our university partners' needs, our focus is on advancing the UN SDGs through international education and career development for a global workforce. Since 2010, we have delivered over 160 programs in more than 25 locations to 4,500+ participants from institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. An established and well-respected custom and faculty-led program provider, Authentica is launching a new portfolio of standard programs and is a dynamic, rapidly-growing organization. This position brings with it strong growth potential—the successful candidate will have an entrepreneurial, can-do attitude, and be comfortable working in a fast-paced but highly collegial organization.

Position Summary

This position oversees and manages all facets of the Authentica Barcelona, including but not limited to: academic delivery and faculty management, legal and financial administration, housing, health, safety, and student services, internships and career development components, and co-curricular programming. The Program Director also represents Authentica Barcelona to the field of US education abroad, hosting site visits and attending regional and international conferences as needed.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities are listed below. The first phase of the role will involve program development; beginning in June 2025 the role will shift to program management and operational, academic, and student services excellence. All facets of the role should be fulfilled with a view to sustainability.

Program Development

• Vet and secure quality housing
• In consultation with the Strategic Advisor, vet and train program faculty
• Identify and develop a robust suite of co-curricular offerings that reflect the themes of sustainability and career development
• Establish legal and financial systems to ensure compliance with Spanish law and local regulations
• Develop a robust orientation program
• Establish health, safety, and student support systems
• Hire and train a Summer 2025 program coordinator

Program Management

• Collaborate with Enrollment Services team on the pre-departure advising
• Plan, implement and participate in all aspects of student services onsite, student arrivals and airport pickup, orientation, course registration, cultural and social activities, excursions, and health and safety matters
• Research and secure housing placements for all students and manage maintenance issues and resolution according to Authentica standards
• Respond to student concerns promptly according to Authentica Health & Safety protocols
• Serve as the primary liaison in regard to security concerns, risk management, student health & safety issues on-site
• Meet regularly with students to check in on their well-being and academic progress
• Maintain flexible working hours as excursions and social activities might occur outside regular business hours
• Mediates and find creative solutions to all escalated student/university concerns, working collaboratively with Authentica headquarters
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to student success in all decision-making
• Source well-qualified local faculty for Authentica-taught courses
• Assist and advise faculty in arranging field visits
• Develop and oversee a robust slate of co-curricular activities

Operational Excellence

• Identify action items from student evaluations and address them, ensuring continuous improvement
• Maintain accurate program data in Authentica's database, website, student literature, and training documents
• Collaborate with other Authentica personnel on the identification and adoption of best practices

Finance and Administration

• Develop and manage the Barcelona budget, and oversee all accounting and reporting responsibilities
• Coordinate local payments according to agreed-upon payment methods and timelines

Communication, Marketing, and Institutional Relations

• Maintain regular communication with Authentica leadership and other departments regarding program performance
• Provide content to the Marketing department
• Assist the Marketing Department to accurately reflect the institution's student offerings and increase program visibility using diverse marketing strategies
• Host site visits from partner institutions

Performance Accountabilities

• Maintain consistent academic and operational excellence
• Operate within pre-determined financial budgets
• Meet reporting and operational deadlines
• Participate in monitoring the emergency phone
• Produce accurate, timely, and detail-oriented work
• Demonstrate empathy and firmness in dealing with student issues
• Respond openly to suggestions and feedback
• Display excellent administrative, communication, and organizational skills

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in any field of study, Master's preferred
• 5+ years work experience in program management. Strong preference for experience working with US undergraduates abroad
• Fluency in English and Spanish
• Proficiency with MS Office and other standard technology platforms. Preference for experience with LMS and SIS systems
• In-depth knowledge and familiarity with Barcelona, Spain, and local business practices. Strong Barcelona-based academic, professional, and cultural networks strongly preferred.

Soft Skills

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills
• Able to multi-task and work independently
• Comfort with working in a fast-paced environment
• A collegial, collaborative, and co-do working style
• Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

This position begins as a project-based, part-time role for the first two months, ramping up to full-time in May & June. From July onwards, it will transfer to a full-time staff role. Authentica is an organization that respects and encourages work-life balance, but when the programs are in session, the role will involve some evenings and weekends. The role is compensated according to a base rate of €60,000-70,000 depending on experience.

Reports To:

Program Director - Italy, with dotted line to Strategic Advisor

Location:

Barcelona, Spain

Status:

March & April: half-time, May & June: full-time Indefinite contract from Fall 25 onwards

To Apply

Send cover letter and CV, Subject Header: Program Director - Barcelona to Italy Program Director Lorenzo Cicarelli at ******, cc-ing Strategic Advisor Dr. Andrea Custodi at ******. Preference will be given to applications received by February 25.