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Posted 1w ago

Senior Program Manager, U.S. LEADS Program (Contingent Upon Funding)

@ American Councils for International Education
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Washington, District of Columbia, United States
$95k-$115k/yrOnsiteFull Time
Responsibilities:lead operations, coordinate stakeholders, manage schedules
Requirements Summary:Bachelor's in related field; 7-9 years managing federally funded international programs; strong PM and organizational skills; experience with international participants and diverse stakeholders; Proficient with Microsoft Office; strong written/verbal communication; familiarity with grant environments and reporting.
Technical Tools Mentioned:Microsoft Office
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Job Description

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

Pay Range: $95,000–$115,000 per year

 

SUMMARY:

The Senior Program Manager will serve as the operational and coordination lead for the FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program. This position is contingent upon funding and will lead day‑to‑day implementation across all program components, including strategic planning, coordination, compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

The Senior Program Manager will act as the primary integrator across a Washington, DC–based summit, up to four U.S. exchanges, and structured follow‑on activities, ensuring alignment with ECA priorities and delivery of actionable outcomes. The role requires independent judgment, strong funder‑facing communication skills, and comfort operating in a complex, approval‑driven federal environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Operations and Coordination

  • Lead day‑to‑day implementation of all U.S. LEADS program components, ensuring alignment across activities, timelines, and deliverables.
  • Translate cooperative agreement requirements and ECA guidance into actionable implementation plans.
  • Manage the integrated program calendar and manage interdependencies across exchanges, summit activities, and follow‑on.
  • Identify, escalate, and resolve operational, compliance, or scheduling risks in coordination with senior leadership.

Stakeholder and Partner Engagement

  • Serve as a primary day‑to‑day point of contact with the U.S. Department of State on program implementation matters.
  • Coordinate with U.S. embassies, implementing partners, and hosts to align recruitment, programming, and participant support.
  • Represent the program in external meetings, briefings, and partner discussions as appropriate.

Outreach, Recruitment, and Participant Management

  • Support international recruitment and nomination processes in coordination with ECA and U.S. missions abroad.
  • Contribute to application management, selection logistics, and participant communications.
  • Oversee tracking of participant documentation and readiness, including travel, visas, orientations, and pre- and post-program engagement.
  • Support participant experience monitoring and appropriate escalation of issues related to welfare, logistics, or compliance.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

  • Lead coordination of monitoring and evaluation activities, including outcome tracking across exchanges and follow‑on engagement.
  • Draft or oversee substantive portions of required programmatic reports, data submissions, and success stories.
  • Maintain audit‑ready documentation related to implementation decisions, changes, and approvals.