Program Officer (Youth Exchange) at World Learning in REMOTE, Oregon

Job Description:

World Learning


Remote, OR, USA
54384 per year
Salary
Full Time

Program Officer

Youth Exchange

Reports to: Senior Program Officer, Youth Exchange

Salary Range: from $54,384

Grade: 3

Terms of Employment: full-time, exempt

Anticipated Start Date: December 15, 2024

Apply by: November 15th

Location: Washington, D.C., or Brattleboro, VT

Remote Eligible: Remote OR Hybrid

World Learning seeks a Program Officer to play vital role on the Youth Exchange Programs Team in the acquisition, management, design, and implementation of programs for students and adult mentors. These exchanges are based in the United States, or select countries abroad, and focus on civic education, community service, and youth leadership development with students from around the world. The position entails involvement in grant oversight and management, programming, and on-the-ground and virtual participant interaction. This position will support programs within World Learning's Youth Exchange Unit's Western Hemisphere, and Middle East and North Africa portfolios.

ABOUT GLOBAL PROGRAMS

This position will be a part of the Global Programs unit of World Learning which designs, implements, monitors and evaluates global development and exchange programs. We work with various donors, including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to achieve immediate impact and sustainable outcomes. Consistent with our organization's status as both a global nonprofit and an accredited institution of higher education, we prioritize experiential programs that are grounded in theory, proven in practice, and lift up diverse voices.

Responsibilities

Grants Management

• Day-to-day program management and support in overseeing aspects of short-term youth leadership program grants annually for students and adult mentors.
• Ensure that U.S. Department of State and other funder guidelines are followed, and deliverables are met.
• Support the design and development of grant proposals, in response to new funding opportunities, as well as renewals and non-competitive continuations (NCCs).
• Lead and maintain communication with U.S. Embassy and/or ECA officials as necessary and with close monitoring by supervisor.
• Support in, or manage, the creation and development of reports for funders and program partners.

People Management and Supervision

• Hire and manage in-country staff and/or contractors, as well as Embassy partner management (separate from funder management) as assigned.
• Serve on Partner Selection Committee (managed by Budgets & Contracts Officer) to support the selection of host community and institution partners.
• Manage programmatic relationship with World Learning's partner organizations that implement the host community segments of the exchanges. Key components include program design and review, host family selection and placements, and debriefing and evaluation of exchange segment with stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively on a team including Director, Senior Program Officers, Program Coordinators, Operations and Admissions staff, Global Staff, Interns, and Leaders.
• Provide supervision of participants during their U.S. and virtual exchange components.
• Monitor participant follow-on project implementation, in collaboration with Global Staff where applicable.
• Manage and onboard seasonal Leaders to support exchange implementation.

Budgeting and Financial

• Conduct budget oversight for programs, through regularly updated budget trackers, with support from Senior Program Officers and Director, and in coordination with Finance Officer.
• Work closely with Senior Program Officers and Director to creatively manage budget line-item overages, while maintaining close tracking and documentation.
• Responsible for personal program advances and advance reconciliations, in addition to program ASPE claims.
• Responsible for WL credit card monthly reconciliation.
• Ensure timely submission and review of in-country staff timesheets, advances and reconciliations. Processing to be managed by Senior Program Coordinator, with Program Officer backstopping.
• Provide program pertinent information to Operations team for vendor, partner, and leader finance management.
• Support the development of grant proposal budgets.

Program Design and Management

• Manage the design, delivery, and evaluation of leadership curriculum, dialogue curriculum, and cross-cultural communication trainings, for program participants during their exchange, and/or virtually, including pre-travel and follow-on virtual programming. This may include U.S. Domestic or International travel up to 15%.
  • Program Officer will manage the adaptation of in-person programming virtually (or to include virtual components) when in-person exchanges are not possible due to travel restrictions or health and safety concerns. This may include direct implementation virtually.
• Support the design and/or delivery of curriculum and supplemental materials for training of trainers (TOT), short term and custom programs as assigned.
• Provide program-pertinent information to Operations Team for travel and logistics management, and leader hiring qualifications and feedback.
  • Program Officer is responsible for coordinating meal options for groups as well as D.C. ground transportation.
• Serve on participant selection committees to support Admissions processes as assigned.
  • Support in the creation of admissions and recruitment timelines.
  • Develop program flyers and lead recruitment webinars.
  • Support management of program email inboxes, as assigned.
  • Provide participant information updates to Admissions team and Program Partners that pertain to health, safety, and wellness; dietary preferences; and other important identifiers (gender orientation, etc.) to ensure every participant receives the supports they need while on program.
• Prepare and disseminate materials and implementation updates to Department of State and/or other funders, program partners, in-country staff and participants as needed.
• Directly support the creation and implementation monitoring and evaluation data collection and analysis using surveys and analytics.
• Oversee programmatic aspects of exchanges; this includes 24/7 risk management response and monitoring of program participants through entire exchange, in person where applicable, and remotely at all other times:
  • Directly manage and problem solve incidents/emergencies that arise during program implementation. This may include, but is not limited to, incidents pertaining to physical or mental health, behavior issues, extreme weather, and logistics.
  • Oversee/support seasonal Leaders responding to health, discipline, and behavior issues.
  • Maintain regular communication with on-call team during program implementation.
  • Utilize support of on-call team and escalate high level incidents where appropriate.
• Facilitate workshops on program, at team retreats, and/or at YA Consortium meetings as needed or assigned.
• Collaborate with Program Coordinator to develop program-specific social media plans and posts, per program guidelines.
• Attend and fully engage in the delivery of Staff Training (ST), including:
  • contributing to workshop design (prior to ST),
  • session facilitation and content delivery (during ST),
  • administration of ST - sweeping groups from one location to another, setting up classrooms, supply runs, etc. as assigned.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of all policies and procedures as laid out in the Youth Exchange Team Handbook and additional policy documents (updated annually), ensuring all partners abide by said guidelines.
• Review, edit, and create content for the Youth Exchange Team Handbook as assigned.
• Serve as on-call and risk management support year-round when assigned - this includes occasional nighttime and weekend shifts.
• Commitment to fostering diverse, equitable and inclusive practices in program implementation and monitoring practices and challenging practices which may be exclusionary; and
• Manage other tasks as assigned.

Business and Organizational Development

• Contribute to an organizational culture of continuous learning through rigorous program monitoring, data tracking, donor and MERL reporting, research and reflection to ensure strong outcomes.
• Contribute to organization's business development targets through ongoing program implementation, goal setting, funder relationship building, and through other means as directed; and
• A curiosity about World Learning as a whole, with the aim of being able to effectively represent the organization to external audiences commensurate with the position; and
• Manage other tasks as assigned. Please note program portfolios may change depending on funding and program priorities.

Requirements

Required Experience/Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is required.
• At least 3 years of related work is required or equivalent combination of graduate education and work experience.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the location where this position is offered.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience with international programs, event and logistics management or youth programming.
• Knowledge of and experience with proposal development, project design, grant management, and budgeting.
• Ability to adapt to change and make decisions in ambiguous situations.
• Experience implementing U.S. Department of State-funded exchange programs is valued.
• Familiarity with U.S. Government procurement policies and grants management.

Required Behaviors/Competencies:

• Acts as a collaborative and resourceful team player.
• Supports a culture of continuous learning and improvement through diligent program monitoring, data tracking, and reflection to ensure strong outcomes.
• Displays curiosity about World Learning and is eager to represent the organization effectively to external audiences, as required.
• Shows dedication to the organization's business development targets through ongoing program implementation and relationship building.
• Committed to promoting diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices in program implementation and monitoring, and willing to challenge exclusionary practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language, with understanding of social media as a professional tool to enhance visibility.
• Computer proficient, i.e. comfortable with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, et al.), cloud-based document management, and online project management tools.
• Team-oriented and collaborative work style, while skilled in independently managing multiple tasks simultaneously, coordinate activities in multiple locations (U.S., overseas, virtually) and prioritize competing tasks and deadlines.
• Willingness to work outside of regular business hours as needed.

Preferred qualifications

• Professional proficiency in Spanish, Arabic, or Kurdish is a plus.
• Experience in supervising staff.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation of projects is a plus, but not mandatory.
• Experience with virtual programming and digital communication desired.
• Understanding of experiential education and youth empowerment pedagogies, with demonstrated examples of incorporating these pedagogies in professional work.
• International residence or international travel experience, with demonstrated cross-cultural competencies.
• Experience working with remote teams desired.

Why World Learning

Benefits

World Learning provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, FSA/HRA, Life/AD&D, Short Term/Long Term Disability, EAP, Parking and Transit, 403 (b) retirement plan for full-time and eligibile part-time employees.

The World Learning Inc. Family

For more than 90 years, World Learning Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of The Experiment in International Living, the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students; School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad and internationally focused master's degrees through SIT Graduate Institute; and World Learning, a global development and exchange nonprofit organization.

World Learning | worldlearning.org

World Learning has worked to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world. World Learning's education, development, and exchange programs help people find their voices, connect with their communities, strengthen the institutions that form the backbone of a democratic society, and build relationships across cultures. With World Learning's support, these emerging leaders tackle critical global issues like poverty, conflict, and inequality.

The Experiment in International Living | experiment.org

The Experiment in International Living is the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students. For more than 90 years, The Experiment has empowered young people to step off the beaten path, experience the world as a classroom, immerse themselves fully in another culture, and build the knowledge and skills needed to confront critical global issues.

SIT | sit.edu

School for International Training (SIT) was founded in the early 1960s as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. For nearly 60 years, SIT has prepared students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world's most critical global issues. SIT Study Abroad offers accredited summer and semester undergraduate programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs on multiple continents. SIT Graduate Institute offers global and hybrid certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees.

An organizational commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

We are a globally diverse community of staff, faculty, board members, alumni, students, and participants who believe that inclusive and equitable practices are at the heart of a peaceful and just world. Each of us strives to honor diverse voices and lived experiences, examine our own biases and privileges, actively work to address inequities in our structures, and foster a community of open dialogue. We are committed to acting with accountability, transparency, reciprocity, authenticity, and empathy.

World Learning is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/veterans/ADA employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.

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