Frontier Commons Program Manager

International Friendships, Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation & holidays

Health benefits (medical, dental, and

403(b) retirement savings plan

Flexible hours & work-from-home

Job summary

International Friendships, Inc. (IFI) seeks a FC Program Manager to design and manage a two-year Innovation Lab cohort with Formation and Leadership tracks, and to build cross-cultural curriculum aligned with kingdom principles.

This role focuses on partnerships, student recruitment, and program scalability, while supporting remote work across the U.S. You will coordinate with campus networks, manage stipends and visas, and lead events like conferences and fellowship programs.

Qualifications

• Adherence to IFI's statement of faith, core values, and policies.
• Experience living/working internationally, preferably in target countries.
• Conversational ability in Hindi, Mandarin, Indonesian, or other relevant Asian language preferred.
• Strong Christian faith with commitment to kingdom-focused marketplace ministry.
• Travel flexibility (25% travel including international trips).
• Godly character that follows scriptural guidance (I Timothy 3 and Titus 1).
• Cultural intelligence and ability to navigate complex international relationships.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to build programs from concept to execution.
• Technical Foundations: Experience with database/CRM management (Salesforce preferred) and web development basics.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement 2-year Innovation Lab cohort program (Formation + Leadership tracks).
• Develop curriculum integrating cross-cultural business leadership with kingdom theology.
• Create selection criteria and recruitment process for 12 annual participants.
• Establish partnership frameworks with target countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Japan).
• Design measurable outcomes and program evaluation systems.
• Manage the Summer Fellowship cohort program, overseeing a diverse group of fellows across Build, Insight, and Content tracks.
• Cultivate network of 20+ Christian business leaders for mentorship partnerships.
• Coordinate "Christian Shark Tank" pitch competitions and networking events.
• Build relationships with country-specific student associations and alumni networks.
• Develop franchise/operator placement programs with international partners.
• Manage relationships with C12 groups, Christian Economic Forum networks, and denominational partners.
• Collaborate with IFI's 50+ campus locations to identify and recruit top-tier students.
• Oversee student stipend program and visa optimization (OPT/CPT).
• Facilitate peer mentorship circles and accountability groups.
• Coordinate virtual reality/simulation training for professional development.
• Track and support alumni impact in home countries.

Skills

AI tools

Remote collaboration

Program design

Stakeholder relationships

Cross-cultural understanding

Tools

Salesforce

Loom

Job description

Introducing IFI, and why you want to be an Frontier Commons (FC) Program Manager with us:

International Friendships, Inc. is a growing faith-based organization, whose mission is to extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international college students. We do this by offering services, such as airport pickups, holiday hosting, temporary housing, conversation partnerships, and social events and trips. Our home office is based in Columbus, OH, and this position can be a work-from-home position from elsewhere in the U.S.

Expected work schedule for the FC Program Manager

• Occasional evenings and/or weekends for specific events/projects
• Attendance at several conferences each year, including IFI Staff Retreats

Pay structure for an FC Program Manager

• Requires the development of a ministry partner team which supplies the necessary prayer and financial support to cover salary, benefits, and ministry expenses
• Training is provided to develop a team of ministry partners
• Pay range is typically between $56,071 and $75,776 after the period of support development, based on experience and other factors
• Paid vacation, sick, holidays, and more (once eligible)
• Health benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• 403(b) retirement savings plan to help you plan for the future
• Flexible hours and work-from-home availability
• Work for a growing Christian organization
• Staff care to support mental, social, and spiritual health for all staff

About the area and Responsibilities of a FC Program Manager

The FC Program Manager will (list not all inclusive):

Program Development & Management (40%)

• Design and implement 2-year Innovation Lab cohort program (Formation + Leadership tracks)
• Develop curriculum integrating cross-cultural business leadership with kingdom theology
• Create selection criteria and recruitment process for 12 annual participants
• Establish partnership frameworks with target countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Japan)
• Design measurable outcomes and program evaluation systems
• Manage the Summer Fellowship cohort program, overseeing a diverse group of fellows across Build, Insight, and Content tracks

Relationship Management & Partnerships (35%)

• Cultivate network of 20+ Christian business leaders for mentorship partnerships
• Coordinate "Christian Shark Tank" pitch competitions and networking events
• Build relationships with country-specific student associations and alumni networks
• Develop franchise/operator placement programs with international partners
• Manage relationships with C12 groups, Christian Economic Forum networks, and denominational partners

Student Recruitment & Development (15%)

• Collaborate with IFI's 50+ campus locations to identify and recruit top-tier students
• Oversee student stipend program and visa optimization (OPT/CPT)
• Facilitate peer mentorship circles and accountability groups
• Coordinate virtual reality/simulation training for professional development
• Track and support alumni impact in home countries

Operations & Strategy (10%)

• Manage program budget derived from $1M+ organizational endowment
• Develop digital platforms for ongoing student-mentor collaboration
• Create systematic processes for program scalability and replication
• Produce quarterly reports and impact assessments for leadership team
• Coordinate travel logistics for international conferences and partnerships
• Manage fellowship interns and direct work as needed
• Develop and maintain financial and prayer partnerships for the budgeted needs of the role by sharing the vision of the ministry, ensuring minimum monetary standards are achieved, partner care, and sending out a ministry newsletter at least every other month to partners
• Other duties, as assigned. Duties/responsibilities may change at any time.

Qualifications needed of a FC Program Manager, including Spiritual Characteristics

• Adherence to IFI's statement of faith, core values, and policies
• Is faithful, loyal and dedicated to IFI's mandate from the Lord to extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international students out of reverence for Jesus
• Godly character that follows the examples defined in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1
• Deep understanding of Asian business cultures and educational systems
• Experience living/working internationally, preferably in target countries
• Conversational ability in Hindi, Mandarin, Indonesian, or other relevant Asian language preferred
• Cultural intelligence and ability to navigate complex international relationships
• AI-forward workflow: Proficient in leveraging AI tools (e.g., Claude, Gemini) to accelerate prototype development and problem-solving.
• Async-first collaboration: Demonstrated experience working in fully remote, asynchronous environments using tools like Loom and digital project boards.
• 0-to-1 Builder Mindset: Ability to turn abstract concepts into shippable prototypes with minimal supervision.
• Technical Foundations: Experience with database/CRM management (Salesforce preferred) and digital platform/web development basics.
• Financial management: Budget oversight and resource allocation experience.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to build programs from concept to execution
• Strong Christian faith with commitment to kingdom-focused marketplace ministry
• Travel flexibility (25% travel including international trips)

International Friendships, Inc. (IFI) is a faith-based organization. Therefore, only those willing to adhere to IFI's statement of faith, core values, and policies will be reviewed for this open position. International Friendships, Inc. is otherwise an equal opportunity employer.

What is your preferred method of communication?