Senior Program Officer

International Research & Exchanges Board; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) seeks a Senior Program Officer to lead and support the Mandela Washington Fellowship Institutes. The role emphasizes fellowship processes, partner communications, and participant support across three tracks.

The ideal candidate will have strong relationship-building, governance and grant experience, and the ability to translate funder asks into program success. Collaborative culture and stakeholder engagement are core.

Qualifications

• 5+ years managing international education or exchange programs.
• Experience with subaward management and procurement.
• Ability to travel domestically and work evenings/weekends.
• Strong written and oral communication with donors and partners.
• Ability to lead and mentor junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day and cycle-based Institute tasks and projects.
• Serve as primary contact for portfolio of ~10–12 educational institutions.
• Execute and manage subawards and budget reviews.
• Guide junior staff and improve workflows.
• Support proposal development and partner engagement.

Skills

Relationship-building

Stakeholder engagement

Program management

Grant management

Subaward management

Policy compliance

Data management

Team leadership

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

Office 365

SharePoint

Teams

OneNote

Salesforce

Alchemer

Canvas

Job description

The Senior Program Officer is a key member of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Institutes team. In this role, you’ll provide leadership and hands-on support to educational institutions who host cohorts of Fellows for 6-week Institutes in one of three thematic tracks (Business & Trade, Emerging Technologies, and Governance & Security). You will manage and strengthen critical Fellowship processes, including subaward management, Institute Partner communications, Fellow placement, programmatic guidance, and support for Fellow medical and conduct issues. You will help maintain accurate program systems and data and will guide junior staff members to ensure high-quality, timely deliverables. This role is ideal for a professional who brings strong relationship-building skills, strong judgement for addressing routine and nuanced partner and participant issues, and the ability to translate funder asks into program success.

We're looking for our next team member—could it be you?

What You’ll Do

• Program Operations & Administration: Manage day-to-day and cycle-based Institute tasks and projects, ensuring timely and accurate completion of deliverables. Manage or support processes related to Institute Partner selection, Institute Partner templates/guidance materials, program planning and implementation, and Institute Partner and Fellow support.
• Participant, Partner & Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the primary point of contact for an assigned portfolio of ~10-12 educational institutions. Manage regular communications and planning/implementation touchpoints, including in-person and virtual presentations, planning and debrief calls, site visits, and a shared inbox.
• Finance, Procurement & Grant Support: Execute and manage subawards (including budget review/approval, payments, and closeout) for assigned portfolio in compliance with U.S. Government and IREX regulations. Support procurement and vendor management processes, including for events and disability accommodations, as needed.
• Team Collaboration & Continuous Improvement: Guide and coach junior staff, including delegating work and ensuring the quality of their deliverables. Support the Institutes Manager in identifying areas for workflow improvements that increase team and Institute Partner efficiency. Support cross-team efforts related to Fellow support. Share knowledge across the Institutes and Fellowship team and other Global Impact Hub program teams.
• Growth & New Business Support: Contribute to proposal development and partner engagement as needed, including maintaining relationships with external stakeholders and partner institutions, gathering data/supporting materials, and drafting and/or reviewing text.

Our Culture is Our People

At IREX, our culture is built on our people—and on how we work together to create meaningful impact every day. We look for colleagues who bring purpose, intellectual curiosity, collaborative problem solving, and a results driven, bias for action to help strengthen communities and advance our mission.

Successful candidates build trust across differences, move ideas into action, seek new perspectives, embrace change, and represent IREX with authenticity and professionalism. We value people who bring strong expertise and a generous team spirit to work that advances our mission.

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated experience with program and participant support, including curricular design, logistics, policy compliance, and participant issue management.
• Knowledge of sub-award management and procurement procedures; familiarity with U.S. Department of State grants and regulations preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to plan strategically and creatively to meet specified objectives with strong ability to anticipate challenges and generate solutions.
• High-level written communication skills, including the ability to produce near-final draft correspondence, documents, and reports.
• Professionalism in oral communications and presentations, including engagement with senior-level donors and partner relations.
• Proven organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, including the ability to prioritize competing needs.
• Demonstrated capability to work independently and as a team member to consistently take initiative, meet deadlines within strict time constraints, and maintain positivity and flexibility.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Office 365 products (SharePoint, Teams, OneNote).
• Data management and analysis skills, including experience with Salesforce, Alchemer, Canvas, or comparable systems/platforms.
• Training and facilitation skills.
• Experience supervising and directing the work of junior staff or other team members.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, with an understanding of Sub-Saharan Africa preferred.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in international education, international affairs, international development, business, public policy/administration, or relevant field.
• 5+ years of relevant progressive experience managing international education or exchange programs in a nonprofit, a university, a funding organization, or a similar organization, or equivalent experience.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships and ensuring compliance with program guidelines with diplomacy and tact.
• Experience addressing participant issues per program protocols, including medical emergencies or conduct violations, with sensitivity and nuance.
• Ability to travel domestically and to support program activities during evenings and weekends, as needed based on the program cycle.

You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $85,000

What We Offer

At IREX, you’ll work alongside committed, passionate, and collaborative colleagues who are united by a shared mission—making it a truly rewarding place to work. We offer learning, development, and growth opportunities, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your overall well-being.

If you are excited by IREX’s mission and see yourself contributing to this work, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience does not align with every preferred qualification. We value a range of backgrounds and experiences and are especially interested in candidates who bring curiosity, initiative, strong collaboration skills, and a commitment to meaningful global impact.

Please note: While we aim to offer competitive compensation, not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

Disability Specifications

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IREX seeks to attract the best-qualified candidates who support IREX’s mission and who respect and promote excellence through diversity. IREX is committed to equal opportunity and follows recruitment and selection practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, IREX recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals based on merit and experience.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.